You've Got to Use Silver
by Thisdudeintheback
Summary: The world of Remnant is dominated by monsters in the woods and feudal kings ruling from palaces. Jaune Arc, the son of a lowly blacksmith, has been caught in the middle of this world. He yearns for the chance to become a knight, but his father forbids it. He only has one option left to him. Take his silver sword and carve a path through anybody who stands in his way.
1. Chapter 1

**Read the AN for important news. Actually, just read the edit note below if you're really feeling lazy.**

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 **Hello Ladies and Gents!**

 **Welcome to my second fic! Hopefully with less crappy writing than my last one. I still enjoy writing the other piece, but I want to see how this one pans out too.**

 **I just recently started playing Skyrim for the billionth time. I've been playing ever since it came out and I'm pretty sure I logged at least 6,000 hours in the last six years.**

 **So on a cold brisk morn... I slaughtered a couple dozen bandits. Then suddenly I got the idea for this fic. I wanted to take aspects from three games I love, RWBY - throw them into a pot and this was born. I've taken inspiration from Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Elder Scrolls Online. So there won't be any Grimm, but there will be vampires, werewolves, bandits and lots of shit Jaune's going to kill. I also included some stuff from Oblivion and Kingdom Come: Deliverance.**

 **This is going to be a Weiss x Jaune romance. I like the pairing, not us much as Arkos or Dragonslayer, but I still think it has potential.**

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 **Edit Note (10/28/19) Ok, fucksticks! I've got the first edit done. I edited a lot of shit out and a lot more shit in. I rearranged some of the scenes to add to the flow, and elaborated on some of what Jaune sees. I also took the time to add a lot more description as to the world mechanics along with fixing any errors in continuity.**

 **I may have missed something. I'm not an English major, nor am I perfect in terms of grammar. So, go easy on me.**

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 **In addition to what I have here. I'm going to say the first twenty or so chapters are meant for limited character development and are mainly just to get the story going. It is faster paced going into it, but slows down upon the second act.**

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Two swords...

One, type eighteen B, forged with silver plating and a steel core, the blade approximately fifty inches in length. Sixty in total when including the grip and pommel. The other, a type ten A simple steel broadsword measuring in at around forty-five inches, accompanied by an argent shield laden with gold painted trim.

These were three of Jaune's most precious items. What he planned on making a living with during the foreseeable future. The weapons were simple... to put it lightly. Truthfully Jaune didn't bother with the pretty stuff on any of his blades. The shield was only painted to protect the metal and to avoid having to polish it. His swords, however, would get the job done until he could upgrade them or find something better if he survived long enough to do so.

Jaune was born into a blacksmith's household. His father was once a mercenary and monster slayer for hire before settling down in Bar, Jaune's hometown. There he took up the dull lifestyle of smithing blades and tools for whatever adventures and commoners who waltzed into his shop. His mother was a merchant peddling goods they made or grew on their farm with Jaune's sisters helping to manage the family's store.

It was a pleasant lifestyle for the most part, but Jaune wanted more. Even though this life was one of contentment and having enough food to never go hungry. Jaune was never truly happy with the circumstances he was born into. Jaune wanted to be a hero like his father. Even more than that, he wanted to be a knight.

He did not want to spend the rest of his days shoeing horses or making farming tools. He did not want to live the rest of his life in anonymity, having never done something to make his mark on the world. To live the same boring life where he was no better than the incompetent automatons. Being content as one of the countless masses playing on the grand stage with nothing to show for their effort other than a vague notion of what a life should be.

Jaune yearned to explore Remnant in its entirety, hunt the monsters that roamed this wild planet, and go questing like a real adventurer, living his life to the fullest. However, Jaune's father did not believe that he could make it. None of the boy's training would take, and the only magic he could cast were simple spells that barely resulted in a flame or flash of lightning. Jaune was crushed when his father barred him from pursuing his dream. The entire family did not wish for Jaune to continue this lifestyle, forcing him to give up his vision after barely even a month of training.

He was forced to watch from the sidelines as other children were groomed for the role by their own parents. Former adventurers and heroes took months to even years, teaching their sons and daughters how to persevere in combat or how to use their abilities to their absolute potential. Even Jaune's younger sister was the family prodigy of swordplay, being trained personally by their father.

To say Jaune was jealous would be the most enormous understatement ever made. Why was she given the opportunity and he wasn't? What made them different? Those questions sparked a raging inferno inside the boy as he no longer had a future of his own creation. One not subject to his volition.

Jaune's solution?

He was going to run away and head to Beacon Academy. The leading institution for adventurers and heroes both magical and physical on the continent of Sanus. There he could hopefully begin fabricating a new life for himself. He could earn a reputation as a warrior for the Kingdom of Vale and would do his best to get the attention of the Valish Royalty.

In preparation for his journey, Jaune spent almost every free moment of his time hunting and training just so he could have a chance for this new life. His hands always smelling of monster blood and smoke from the forge. He grew obsessive with the task before him. Not wanting anything else in life other than to become an adventurer. The last two years were a haze of bloody memories and dismembered monster corpses.

Was it worth the effort?

It was enough to get Jaune's level up to around ten and a half. Frankly, an accomplishment for having done this by himself. He played his hand carefully, never tangling with a monster too strong for him to easily handle. Other wannabe adventurers had friends or even their parents go out with them when farming. Jaune only had himself to rely on.

However, it meant Jaune was behind his peers. Far beyond those who never spent a moment wielding sword or spell, but lagging behind the properly trained warriors. Almost ten or so levels below them. Yet, the difference was insignificant compared to Jaune and his own father. Nicholas Arc being level forty-five, the second strongest man in Bar.

On Remnant, levels were something of a mystery. People could sense their strengths and get an approximation of them. With every level, one of your reserves would rise, those being health or aura, stamina, and your magical reserves. Although from what Jaune managed to read, you didn't actually get more of anything, you only became more efficient in that respect or in general, tougher. You could never honestly know how much aura you had, either. Your body just had to feel it.

Some people were born with higher magical reserves or more stamina than other people, and everybody's core attributes or reserves were different based upon their birth or upbringing. Jaune was pretty sure he wasn't one of those special people. His health and stamina were average at best compared to other adventurers and heroes among his peer group. Jaune's stats were evenly spread with more emphasis on Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence (his Charisma was sort of lacking). He couldn't even sense his magical reservoir. Indeed Jaune had no known magical prowess, yet he still was able to wield some kind of magic in the form of his first ability.

He called it Arclight.

Arclight was merely a high-intensity flash of light. Jaune experimented on it with various low-level monsters and Arclight worked exceptionally well. It created a light that was almost as intense as the sun. It stunned enemies who were living and burned the undead to a certain degree. Not turning them into ash, only causing great pain. He managed to gain it when he turned level ten. Unfortunately, he didn't get to use it on anything deadly at the moment. And for all Jaune knew this ability was unique to only him.

Supposedly, everyone's abilities were as unique as their stats. However, the only way to increase your stats or gain new powers was to earn an obscure substance known as Exp.

Levels, which were increased by earning Exp, were wholly dependent on completing a task. This task could be forging a sword, ploughing a field of wheat, or killing monsters. Anything that involved creating something was subject to granting Exp.

Jaune studied whatever literature he could on the mechanism. However, there was nothing that accurately described how it worked. It just happened. Jaune could even feel his level increase every time he made a sword or killed something, so it was real. The boy also saw his stats increase once the new level had been achieved.

However, with the already amazing benefits of breaching the level barrier; Jaune realised there was a side effect to earning Exp. You became more proficient at whatever task or tasks you specialise in. Jaune figured this out after obtaining his first few levels. The boy's awareness for where his sword would slice into a body or how he needed to angle his shield increased in magnitudes after only one level.

Frankly, it boggled the mind. Jaune could barely understand how all of it worked even with repeated experiments. It was an immediate result and not anything like training with a partner. Hopefully, someone at Beacon knew more about it.

Said academy was _the_ fortunate escape for Jaune. They took on about everybody they could and only asked they pay their way. You only needed to complete the Initiation, and the professors would teach you and train you how to survive Remnant.

In terms of combat, Jaune felt confident enough in his abilities when it came to monster hunting. He even managed to kill a vampire, which was something few had accomplished in Bar. Jaune's father being one of the lucky few, who, from what his stories described, killed a dozen or so vampires during his career.

Jaune's family's reaction to him managing to slay a vampire was... less than stellar. His mom and sisters threatened to lock him in the cellar, never to let him out of their sights again. Jaune's dad, however, didn't react in the way he expected. Jaune even managed to bring back a trophy, the vampire's head. It didn't seem like it was enough for the old Arc. The old man was more disappointed that Jaune risked his life for a trophy and a small pile of Lien.

That's what truly set Jaune over the edge. He thought it would make his old man proud of him that he slew a dangerous beast and prove he had what it took to become an adventurer. At this point, Jaune was just glad none of his family members saw his injuries. A few claw marks here and there. Luckily he brought a cure disease potion in the event he contracted stage one vampirism.

 _I need to recheck my gear..._

Jaune picked up the silver sword he affectionately named, Ira Rubrum. It was his killer app, which saved his life when fighting whatever monsters he came across. Jaune made sure to hide it from his mother and sisters lest they whisk the blade away to the bottom of a river. It was expected that his father already knew about it and didn't bother to bring it up.

The rest of his gear laid splayed out on top of his bed. Jaune's other sword Crocea Mors, was still within its sheath and strapped onto the harness made for both blades. Pieces of armour rest next to the swords, consisting of a simple white steel breastplate with spaulders and accompanying vambraces. He wore leather pads on his legs as well, but they would not stand up to the swipe of a sword... a club maybe or a tail, but until he could add metal trim to them, Jaune was stuck with using leather.

 _Everything looks good... I've got enough supplies to last a few weeks. Shouldn't leave anything that I want to take with me. Need to keep things light._

Jaune planned to leave before dawn as to avoid his sister's and parent's likely attempt to stop him. He was going to leave them a note, of course. There was no point in disappearing without some final words. Jaune would make sure that his sisters wouldn't blame themselves for his running away.

He didn't have a horse, so he was either going to have to walk all the to Vale, or he would have to negotiate with one of the many carriage drivers that frequented the roads to the capital.

Jaune packed his satchel full of Dust Crystals that he had been stockpiling for the last few months. It was a dozen or so medium quality gems that he could sell or possibly use in battle. Except he had no idea how to use them on the fly. Or what they were even used for in general beyond enchantments.

A three or four-day carriage ride would be pleasant. Jaune could catch up on some sleep and be refreshed for the first day at the academy. He just needed to find one cheap enough, so he didn't spend all of his Lien just yet. Jaune had few hundred coins to his name, but he knew it wouldn't last, so he had to bargain for whatever he needed.

 _Time to leave..._

Jaune threw on his gear, making sure that everything was comfortable and not restricting his movements. The medium armour let Jaune take a hit at the sacrifice of some of his lacklustre agility. However, he could still dodge most attacks from larger creatures and roll if necessary to avoid massive attacks. If Jaune had more money, he would eventually buy or make his own heavy plate at a forge. He fancied himself a knight, and medium armour didn't fit with his class.

...

"Time to be a hero I guess," Jaune muttered to himself as he snuck out of his window. He was sure he didn't wake anybody, but Jaune needed to keep quiet lest he disturbed anybody else in his neighbourhood. It would break his heart if Jaune's little sister saw him sneak out and tried to stop him.

He made his way down the road to the stables. The half dozen enclosures rested just inside the western gate of Bar. A much larger barn was near the northern and main entrance of the city, but Jaune would have to pass through the marketplace, and he couldn't risk someone spotting him.

 _Here goes nothing..._

A man was tending to his horses and getting them ready for travel. He looked as though he was a trader of sorts. There were weapons in the back of the cart, and the man had a mace strapped to his hip. His clothes didn't scream wealthy, but they were more sophisticated than the rags most of the townsfolk wore.

"What do ye want laddie," the man asked in a boorish slurred tongue.

 _Ok, maybe he wasn't a merchant or a low ranking one. He might be working for a merchant and simply shuttles goods between towns._

"I was wondering where this cart is going," Jaune slowly began, convinced the man was drunk. "I need passage to Vale, and I'm willing to pay." Hopefully, Jaune's charisma would get him a reasonable price. If not... he was going to have to leg it.

"You're not one of those Witch Men, are ye," the man said, staring at Jaune's twin swords. The boy had no idea what, "Witch Men," the man was referring to.

"N-no," he stuttered. "I-I'm a knight." Even though he fancied himself as a knight, Jaune was not actually that.

 _Good job Jaune, knights are known for their uncontrollable stuttering._

"Then what's with the two fancy swords," the man sternly replied with a tone of fear in his voice. "I ain't ever seen a knight with two swords."

The man was technically correct. Knights rarely carried two swords since they didn't focus on magical threats, but Jaune was branching out a bit.

"This is a silver sword," Jaune withdrew the blade and twirled it in his hand. "I need it to fight monsters. I also have a steel sword in case I have to fight people." Jaune was hoping he could avoid the latter. But in the event he needed to defend himself, Jaune would not back down. His dad said the first time is always the hardest no matter what.

"Hmmm..." The man remained in thought for a few seconds until he spoke up. "If ye can protect my wagon, I will take ye to Vale for free." The man gladly held his hand out.

Jaune took a second to think about it and then firmly grasped the man's hand in agreement. The Trader hopped aboard his wagon and Jaune jumped into the back, taking his pack off and setting it behind him. The boy leaned back against it, getting comfortable for the journey.

 _This was a lot easier than I thought it would be_.

[An Hour Later]

"I'll keep watch up here if ye can watch my back," the man shouted back to Jaune. "There's ale back there too. So help yourself, laddie."

Jaune examined one of the brown bottles, labelled "Black Baron Ale." He had never been a heavy drinker, but Jaune occasionally dabbled in the stout. The lack of any drinking laws and a hard days work were more than enough to justify a tankard or two.

Jaune looked around and made sure that nobody he knew was around. Slipping the bottle into his bag and uncorking another, downing the brown liquid.

 _Huh, nice..._

It was smooth, remarkably so. Most ales in Bar were far too strong for his liking, but Jaune didn't have many options. This ale was more robust and possibly imported from out of the country. Vale didn't have the right climate to grow these kinds of hops. Maybe it was from Mistral? Windpath was far enough south that they could grow whatever they wanted.

As Jaune sat and enjoyed his stout, he spotted something off in the distance. It was hard to make out since Jaune didn't have a spyglass or cat eyes and could barely see a few figures off in the distance.

As they approached even further, Jaune realised what had been chasing them. A group of dogs with fur as black as pitch. Almost a dozen red eyes, easily visible from a hundred yards away. Those burning coals resting in their skulls stared straight through Jaune's soul.

"Hellhounds," Jaune shouted, getting the driver's attention who hopped off the wagon and grabbed his club.

Hellhounds were a combination of the magical and physical worlds. They materialised as a solid form, but they were essentially ghosts possessing a shell, demons more appropriately, Creatures of Grimm. Their structures were more akin to Doberman Pinschers, but they were coloured solid black with deep red eyes.

There were around five Hellhounds on the road. They were easy enough to fight as long as you were not swarmed by too many, just like wolves or wild dogs. Five Hellhounds were the average per pack, but it was split between two people making the job easy.

Jaune slid off the back of the carriage, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He grabbed his shield, holding it on his left arm. The boy grasped the handgrip closer to the top of the guard in a diagonal fashion with a strap for his elbow halfway down the back.

He reached behind his head, finding Ira Rubrum sticking out of its sheath. With a tug, Jaune pulled the grip down to his should while sliding the blade from within its scabbard in one smooth motion. Jaune twirled the sword once in his fingers, anticipating the battle ahead of him.

"Stay near the cart and don't let them get behind you," Jaune warned, raising his shield towards his chest.

"I know that," the Trader shouted back. "This isn't my first scrap!"

The first Hellhound reached the cart in mere moments. It snarled at the two men, drooling from the sides of its toothy maw. The beast moved without care as the humans armed themselves, disregarding base instinct to avoid conflict.

The dog leapt up towards Jaune's neck. The boy felt everything slow down while he redirected his shield to meet the beast. Slamming the face into the hound's snout, Jaune shattered the bones in the front of its skull. He twisted his torso to the side, tossing the hound away.

 _That's one..._

The Trader moved forward, mace in hand. A look of confidence or sheer bravado on his face. Another hound bolted up to him but met the business end of the club. He swung downwards as the hound made into range, connecting on the top of the dog's skull effectively caving it in with little effort. The force from the blow snapped the wooden shaft holding the head of the mace, disabling the weapon entirely.

However, the body kept moving forward, crashing into the man's chest, knocking him onto his back. The corpse kept going, tumbling over the man's face, coating his shirt in a thick layer of mucus and blood from the head wound.

 _Two..._

Before the man could stand up and regain his footing. A hound was on top of him. He held his arms up, bracing the snapping maw with his forearm just under the hound's jaw. It was taking all of his strength to hold up the breast as he had no leverage to push back.

"GET IT THE FOCK OFF MEE," the Trader shouted, barely holding the mutt back away from his face. The hound snapped again at his cheek nearly tearing a chunk of flesh out of his face.

Jaune wasted no time, running over at a full sprint. As he reached the tussle, the Knight cocked back his right leg and kick-stomped the hound. The beast, letting out a cry of pain as Jaune's boot met the right side of its head. His kick was enough to toss the animal completely off the Trader and onto its side.

Before the hound could get back up and recover. Jaune rushed forth with Ira Rubrum in a reverse grip, raising the blade up high and thrusting it downwards into the mutt's ribs. He clamped both of his hands around the blade, wrenching it back and forth, twisting the sword to cause as much damage as possible. The hound, squealing out in pain as Jaune carved its insides out like poultry.

 _That's THREE..._

Jaune yanked Ira Rubrum out of the corpse, whirling around to meet another hound bolting to him. The dog leapt towards his face, the Knight sidestepped, chopping down from the right diagonally in a smooth pirouette. Ira Rubrum tearing through the vertebral column and cleaning slicing through the inner organs.

Both halves of the fourth hound fell to the ground in a wet slap. Blood spilt out from the open wound, the upper half liquidating every fluid along with even the intestines pouring their putrid contents out. The hind legs falling separately from the front; femoral arteries spurting out onto the ground, painting it red.

 _Four..._

The final hellhound stood its ground a few feet from the battle. It had obviously waited for an opening but never found one to press. Now the hound was alone and without its pack.

It growled loudly, trying to intimidate Jaune. The boy stood his ground shield and sword in hand. The hound bowed its head, ready to spring forward.

 _Come on..._

Just as the hound moved to attack him, Jaune met the challenge with his shield. He didn't let the monster get more than a foot from where it had started; bashing the corner of his guard into the hound's skull, using it as a crude striking edge.

Just like the first two hounds, Jaune shattered this one's skull; killing it almost immediately. The corner of the heater shield digging into the bone, pulling it out revealed tufts of hair coated with blood and flesh.

 _Five..._

Jaune looked around for anything that wanted to rush out of the woods. Finding nothing, Jaune turned back to the cart, tossing his weapons into the back.

He was fortunate that Hellhounds were no more complicated to deal with than wolves. For his overall lack of training and experience, Jaune thought he had done quite well. It was nowhere near where his younger sister was or even his father, but that was expected. Jaune had watched how they fought and copied their style enough to be able to replicate parries, blocks, and ripostes.

 _Wait... I forgot about the Trader._

"Please don't be dead," Jaune repeated to himself several times in his head. He ran around the side of the cart, hoping not to find a body. Instead, he found the man laid out like a drunk who lost his way home from the bar. A constant wheeze escaped from the man's mouth, and he clutched his diaphragm most likely having the wind knocked out of him. The actual harm to the man was his now blood-stained tunic which was most likely ruined now.

"Come on, get up - I can't have you dying on me," Jaune commanded as he held his hand out to the man. The Trader accepted his offer in a daze and was brought to his feet. "Someone needs to drive the wagon."

 _I could probably do it, but I would have to dump the wagon or explain to the guards why I'm the one driving it._

"Oh, my fockin' head is on fire," he cursed as he held a hand to the back of his head. There wasn't any blood, but he most likely had a first-degree concussion. Jaune dug inside the wagon and tossed him a bottle of ale. The Trader cheerfully accepted and limped back to his cart. Beer was practically a cure-all and mild pain reliever.

...

"So, laddie, how did ye learn them fancy moves," the Trader asked in a more noticeable slurred tongue. It had been several hours since the incident on the road. Nothing else had bothered the two men except the occasional call of a monster from within the wood. Both men put their buzzed heads together and sang a few drinking songs to pass the time as they approached Beacon. They also shared some small talk on the road as well while taking turns driving the cart.

The Trader's name was actually Kaedin, and he seemed like a pleasant guy. He worked for a merchant in Vale, peddling his employer's goods to the surrounding villages. Kaedin was also a bard and not much of a fighter. He spent more time writing ballads hoping to make it big one day. Which reflected his fighting style... or lack thereof.

"My father taught me," Jaune gave a half-truth to Kaedin to spare him from the stress of knowing he had a self-taught adventurer as his escort. It was probably for the better that nobody knew about it. Jaune was a step up from town guards (for how useful they could be), but he was not quite the knight in shining armour he wanted to become, yet. "I also did some work on my own. I even killed a vampire."

"Bloody hell," the man looked back in astonishment. "You killed a fuckin' vampire!"

The was the same reaction most of the townsfolk had when Jaune waltzed in with a humanoid's head. However, it still didn't improve his luck with women, only some gossip that his sisters refused to share. It got him some attention from the Count of Bar and earned him a decent friendship with the noble's second son.

"Yeah, it was only a fledgeling... a recently turned vampire who hasn't fed yet," Jaune tried to humbly deflect the praise. That was probably his hardest fight yet. He was lucky that the fledgeling did not have the powers of a full vampire, however. If that had been the case, Jaune could have easily found himself among the undead. The silver sword helped as well, but Jaune was pretty sure it was because of the former.

"Don't fuckin', "It was only a fledgeling," me! I only know of three men who killed vampires in my time on this putrid planet. Two of them were all old as shite and could barely take a piss standin' up! You're the third, and ye killed a vampire before ye even grew hair on yer chin."

Jaune didn't know if he should be insulted by that last part. The most he ever managed to grow on his face was some stubble. It being blonde made it more than invisible to the naked eye. His dad had a full beard and if he ever managed to shave it, would grow back in a matter of days.

"Thanks," Jaune said. _I guess..._

To some of the villagers in his hometown, Jaune was seen as a hero for slaying the vampire. Of course, none of the peasants knew about the rest of the brood hiding deep in the forest. That was between him and the Count, who dispatched his men to clear it out at the loss of half the battalion. One hundred fifty men lost in mere minutes before they managed to subdue the clutch and seal the cave permanently. Luckily they covered it up saying the soldiers went to clear out a bandit camp and ran into a werewolf along the way. Kept panic down for the most part when they claimed they had slain the werebeast.

...

Five days had passed as the two men rode the carriage to Vale. It was mostly silent for that period as more and more soldiers appeared along the roads. They thought it best not to attract attention to themselves with armed guards looking for a chance to seize their goods.

Not that Jaune couldn't stop them, of course. Most town guards were merely conscripts and drunks forced to throw on a gambeson and mail. So, it was often that town guards were made up of less than reputable members of society. The Vale City Guard consisted of proper soldiers, but most fit the former description. Bar had a professional garrison trained by the Count of Bar himself and outfitted by Jaune's father. It was why the town managed to grow to a few thousand residents, and Jaune lived among the craftsmen or middle class.

The higher concentration of soldiers meant that Jaune was getting closer to Vale. Or... there was higher activity of bandits in the area. Both were okay because the soldiers would serve as a distraction while Kaedin and Jaune got away.

"Oi laddie," Kaedin shouted from the driver's bench. "Welcome to Vale!"

The massive city walls appeared from just around a bend on the road. Thick stone and deep trenches surrounded the metropolis. The walls must have been twenty feet thick! The entrance Jaune came up to was a drawbridge over a mote. The bridge protected by a wooden spike wall and ditches dug out by soldiers.

The road led farther into the city and ended in a bustling marketplace. Here, dozens of merchants stood behind their stalls shouting at random citizens, trying to pitch their goods. The road was filled with hundreds of city-goers busy trading for food and supplies on the cobblestone plaza. Mercenaries and adventurers were looking to sell loot from their expeditions.

Hundreds of red-slated rooves dotted the landscape around him. The wood and stone buildings showed age in this ancient city but stood with the strength of a thousand men. Everything was alive! Jaune doubted Bar could ever live up to the capital even if they had a thousand years!

"Alright laddie, this is where we part ways," Kaedin waved and hopped off the wagon. "If we meet again, maybe we'll do some trading. I might even hire ye to guard my wagon."

Jaune waved goodbye and fell into the crowd. He then began perusing the marketplace. Maybe he could find something useful and haggle for a better price before he had to show up at Beacon. There were some nice swords here and there that were up to par with his own weapons or leagues beyond them. Jaune spotted a crossbow and lacking a ranged option he might have picked it up if not for the price. Twelve-hundred Lien was way too much for his blood.

"Excuse me, sorry..."

Jaune continued on his way, leaving the marketplace behind. He needed to find Beacon and get there before Initiation started or any grand plans could get underway. Just as he turned around, something collided with his chest, knocking whoever hit him onto the ground.

"Oofff," the young girl grunted as she fell back.

Tiny, cute, and probably way out of his league... was all Jaune could describe her as. Delicate like a rose petal would fit her pretty well too. She seemed to be younger than the Knight. Several thoughts crossed his mind before he realised he had been staring at her for far too long and his mind threw itself back into gear.

 _Damnit Jaune! Control yourself! You're supposed to be a knight!_

Jaune could barely feel her hit him. She merely glanced off the boy's breastplate and may have been run over by Jaune if he hadn't seen her fall down. The girl's two wide silver eyes hidden beneath a red cloak looked up at him in a daze.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Jaune quickly apologised as he lifted her up. The girl was surprisingly light. He couldn't feel any pressure from her grip either. "Are you all right?"

She patted down her clothes, trying to get the dust off. Jaune noted the girl was clad in various shades of red from vermillion to crimson that matched her hair. She wore a black and red shirt bound under a matching corset, leading into a skirt. On her back, she carried a scythe with a wooden haft.

"Yeah, sorry about running into you," she apologised nervously. "My Big-Sis abandoned me to go chase her friends. I started walking around the market and then got lost." After she made sure she was clean, the girl looked up to him. "A-Are you an Initiate too?' Her face was noticeably reddened, displaying her embarrassment.

 _How did she know I'm an Initiate?_

"Y-Yeah, this place is a bit confusing," Jaune replied mindlessly, scratching the back of his head. A tinge of sweat on his brow. Jaune now remembered how bad he was with girls. His hormones acted up, and he could barely string together a sentence because he would get so nervous. At least here in Vale, Jaune had some anonymity to his identity, so he could simply fade out of anybody's minds.

"Oh, I-I'm an Initiate too," Jaune excitedly stammered in agreement, answering her question. They both seemed to be nervously stuttering and were equally embarrassed. That might have been why this conversation was going swimmingly for the two so far.

"REALLY," the girl nearly shrieked in excitement. "You're going to Beacon too!" She was probably more pumped about being at the academy than Jaune was. The girl seemed more socially awkward than Jaune was, but he didn't really mind. "Oh, I-I almost forgot! My name's Ruby Rose! And are those longswords?!" She moved between sentences, barely taking a breath. Ruby had no regard for her appearance as her focus was entirely on Jaune at the moment.

 _Yep, she's pretty awkward. Kind of ironic coming from me..._

"Uh, my name's Jaune. Jaune Arc," Jaune slowly introduced himself to give off of vain attempt at confidence through a blush. "This is Ira Rubrum. My other sword is Crocea Mors."

He withdrew Ira Rubrum and held it by the base of the blade. Ruby quickly snatched it from him and examined the edge and fuller. Jaune was a weapon's aficionado himself, but she was more excited about seeing someone's sword than the person attached to it.

"Steel core plated with silver," Ruby muttered to herself. She examined the blade as a master would, taking in every detail of the high-grade silver.

The Mistrali Silver Jaune forged the blade with was hard to come by, not to mention expensive. He managed to snag himself some from a merchant passing through town and nearly bankrupted himself in the process. But it was worth it for the pure silver.

"You really like weapons," Jaune mentioned in an attempt to keep the conversation going. He didn't want to lose her since she was the first person Jaune had run into and was planning to go to Beacon as well. So, keeping the topic to something they both seemed interested in was all he had at the moment.

"Huh," Ruby snapped out of whatever trance she was in. "Y-Yeah, I love weapons... and armour! But nothing compares to my baby, Crescent Rose!" Ruby pulled out her scythe swung with around with surprising grace, twirling it around in one hand. She most definitely outclassed him when it came to handling weapons. It may be a good idea to pair up with her. Jaune could hopefully ensure his long-term survival.

However, Jaune had never heard of a hero who wielded a scythe. A farmer might have used one to try defending himself from wolves or the occasional wraith. However, when facing the latter, it usually leads to the person's death. Scythes were never meant to be used to fight monsters or people for that matter.

"Cool," Jaune complimented, taking Ira Rubrum back. "So what kind of abilities do you have? I only have one, and it is only useful on the undead. I call it Arclight." He was kind of embarrassed to mention his low level. Jaune was sure this girl would crush him in an actual fight. However, Jaune needed to prod for information on his potential friend and ally. "It's a flash of sunlight, basically."

"Wow, I have something just like that," Ruby mentioned with an almost curious tone. "Oh-oh-oh, I also have another, and it's really really cool!" Her tone bounced back to her more excited one.

That meant she was somewhere around level fifteen. After level ten, you could unlock a new ability every five levels. The main issue with new powers was their usefulness. Some skills were utterly useless for anything related to combat. Anybody could unlock a power, but it was a gamble. You might get be able to enhance your strength or be able to talk to birds. They were also determined by your upbringing or your personality, so a child with a bad temper could unlock a skill related to fire.

"I have my first ability that I call, 'Crimson Flash,' and it allows me to move faster than the eye can see, and my second move is a stun attack with my eyes. I call that one the 'Silver Eyes.'" Ruby tried to sound cool at that last part, but Jaune wasn't going to call her out on it; especially when she could kick his ass in twenty different ways and have no way to stop her.

"Nice," Jaune replied with a sympathetic tone, continuing to head in the direction where had been going originally. Ruby followed beside him. "So, where are you from? I just arrived from Bar a few minutes ago."

He hoped that the question wasn't too forward, diverting the topic in another more personal direction. However, if Ruby didn't know where Beacon was and got lost, Jaune assumed she wasn't from around here. The boy also wanted to get to know her a little bit before they made it to the Academy. Especially if they were going to be attending classes in the future together; Jaune needed all of the allies he could get.

"Ummm, I'm from Patch," Ruby answered, her voice changing to a more neutral laid-back tone. She seemed to be a bit more comfortable now after getting out of the initial embarrassment from their meeting. "My sister and I got off the ship an hour ago... and I've never been to Vale before."

 _So, Ruby's older sister abandons her in one of the largest cities on the planet. One that she doesn't know or has ever been to. Yet, she expects Ruby to be able to find her way around with no problems. Just how irresponsible is this older sister?_

Before Jaune could contemplate the situation further, he heard shouting and fast-paced footsteps coming up from behind the pair. He wasn't even able to turn around as a man threw something into his arms. Or more like slapped something against his chest and let it fall into his hands.

Jaune looked up to see a fast-moving blonde male standing a few feet away from the pair. The man in question turned around as he gave Jaune the object. Yet, he was still on his toes, preparing to bolt at that very moment.

"Yo, watch that for me," the man shouted, turning to run away from the pair. "I'll be back for it later!"

Jaune continued to follow the man with his eyes as he vanished into the crowd. The boy had no idea what just happened, standing there shocked from the surprise. A puzzled look on both Jaune's and Ruby's face. They each looked down at each other for confirmation that had just happened.

Neither of them could say anything as another man shoulder-checked Jaune, nearly throwing him to the floor. He managed to catch himself with some help from Ruby, who grabbed his arm and kept him from tumbling forward. The Knight looked back up to see an older man wearing an apron along with a boy about Jaune's age running towards where the blonde man went.

"What was that," Ruby asked for clarification, stating what was on both of their minds. It may have been too much all at once for her to wrap her mind around it. Jaune could barely do it himself.

"I don't know..." Jaune replied, mimicking Ruby's confusion. He looked down at the object that had been given to him by the blonde man.

It was a bright green apple. Freshly picked sometime this morning. Obviously, the boy who gave the fruit to Jaune had stolen it and got caught in the process. Yet, leaving his stolen goods with somebody he didn't know was a significant risk. Why would the thief even attempt it in the first place?

"So, what are you going to do with it," Ruby asked, looking down at the stolen fruit.

 _Can't really return it, since I have no clue where the Vendor's stand is. But I should be careful with how I answer, Ruby might not like it._

Jaune didn't want Ruby to get angry with him and just up and leave. So, he needed to play a neutral card in this scenario.

"Do you want it," Jaune offered, holding up the apple to Ruby. She shook her head, giving her answer. "Then I'll keep it for now." He dropped the apple into his satchel. "If we run into the guy who it was stolen from, I'll give it back."

"Ok, good," Ruby said, not giving Jaune anything definite as to her thoughts. She paused for a moment, letting a silence grow between them. "So, should we go find where the Initiation Speech is? I'm pretty sure someone can give us directions."

That reminded Jaune of something, he really didn't know where Beacon was either.

"Yeah, let's go..."

[A half-hour later]

As Jaune and Ruby meandered their way up to the Academy, he began to notice some things. There were several adventuring types hanging out by the front gates of the compound. Judging by the higher quality of their garb, which consisted of full-plate, leather and mail, gambesons, or a combination of all three; they seemed to be more experienced students. Maybe even upperclassmen?

This boded well for Jaune as he looked the part. The boy didn't seem to stick out in any way besides his long blonde hair. Just another knight on his way to join Beacon Academy.

Beacon itself was a stone's throw from the King's Palace, in the centre of the cosmopolitan heartland of Vale. The palace was absolutely astounding to gawk at. The tall twisting towers of what could have been a fortress in its own right dwarfed the city. Blue-slated roofing and marble stonework came together to form a masterpiece.

Frankly, nothing else in the city could really stand up to the palace in comparison. Only Beacon, which had just started to come into view had that right.

Jaune and Ruby rounded the last bend in the street, stopping as they first laid eyes upon the structure. Each had the dumbest smiles on their faces just out of sheer excitement coursing through their veins. Jaune himself was terrified standing before what was going to be his new home for the foreseeable future.

 _Woah..._

The high walls of the school made the castle look pitiful in comparison. Cobble roads gave way to grey marble tiles and beautiful gardens. Every open wall was covered in some form of vegetation ranging from flowers to the most amazing and exotic herbs he had ever seen. Jaune had lost himself entirely while basking in the sights.

Passing through the gates, Jaune was able to get a more appreciating view of the inner sanctum. The gardens only grew more ornate, extending all throughout the grounds and encompassing many more architectural styles. Marble sculptures of heroes stood like sentinels; posed in various combat stances or even in the typical heroic posture, sword and shield in hand.

Ruby spun around, getting a good look at everything around her. She was cherishing every minute of this. The huge smile on her face and those wide eyes displayed every ounce of her glee at this moment.

"Jaune, this is AMAZING," Ruby gushed loudly, attracting the attention of several others. "Beacon looks like it's straight out of a fairy tale!"

It really did, and Jaune had no way to disagree. Cleary the entire look they were going for here was to be a monument to the legacy of Vale's heroes. Maybe it was more inspired by the mythical and romantic aspects of those stories?

"You've got that right," Jaune agreed with barely contained enthusiasm, doing another look-see.

 _I should have taken a trip to Vale before this. I feel cheated._

However, getting to see this with Ruby for the first time made up for that. The two were quickly becoming friends, having ecstatically discussed weapons and armour on the way here. At least their amazement when it came to being able to simultaneously lose all trains of thought while beholding a masterpiece was something else they could share.

"I can't believe how many people are here," Ruby noted, staring at the crowd of prospective students. "Are we going to class with everyone here? Ughhh, their weapons are sooo cool! I wish I could see all of them!"

Jaune kind of wanted to check out whatever these other students were packing too. There were a few of them carrying around some more unusual weapons like chain swords and what looked to be a modified crossbow. Too bad they didn't have the time.

"Be careful, Ruby," Jaune warned in a playful tone. "Crescent Rose might get jealous."

"Sphhhfff," she blew through her lips before outright laughing. Ruby clearly didn't take it seriously but found it funny. "Nah, my heart only belongs to Crescent Rose. She knows I like weapons... It's just like meeting another person. They're just an extension of someone else's personality!"

 _Huh... that was surprisingly deep. But I understand._

"I see," Jaune said, contemplating her words. He cupped his chin, coming up with an idea. "Maybe there are some other vampire slayers among them. I want to see their methods, and maybe you can check out their weapons too."

It was a win-win situation. Jaune wanted to learn some more tricks of the trade, and Ruby wanted to see someone else's weapons. However, he didn't consider how Ruby was going to react to this news.

"Wait, Jaune," Ruby looked over to him with an extremely excited and almost giddy expression. "You killed a vampire!" The last part was loud enough to where more people started to take notice of the pair. For how small she was and how quiet she seemed; Ruby could be louder than a band of soldiers. "How did you do it?! Did you use the silver sword or did you use magic?! I bet that fight must have been so cool!" The girl was also extremely fast spoken, and Jaune could barely keep track of her.

"It was only a fledgeling," Jaune whined as he tried to explain the scenario. He hated when people over-praised him for a task that could have been done by any second-rate adventurer. "So, it's barely a vampire."

More of a superhuman actually. Fledgelings had faster reaction times and movement speed than normal humans or faunus. Most usually had the strength of a bull or could snap trees in half with a single punch. Yet, accounts from other vampire hunts don't mention them fighting at what should be their full strength.

"Still cool," Ruby insisted. "We don't have those on Patch!"

 _Patch doesn't have vampires? They might have killed them all off, or they're just in hiding..._

"Aha, there you are," a voice called out from off to the side.

Jaune turned to see the blonde thief that he and Ruby had run into earlier. The man was about the same height as Jaune; maybe shorter by an inch or two. However, he was much more heavily built. His open shirt, exposing his inner pectoral muscles and abs told Jaune enough. A monkey tail swaying back and forth distinguished him as a faunus.

The man wore only a white shirt and blue trousers as his garb. Said trousers only went down to his mid-calf, leaving his legs open to the air. The only armour the man wore was a pair of vambraces made from leather and red-painted steel.

On his back, he carried a red and gold coloured staff. The two ends of the weapon were covered in strange runes Jaune had never seen before. Maybe it was some sort of enchanted bo staff?

Jaune thought he may have been a sailor or some sort of Rogue Class member given his choice of weaponry.

"So, do you still have it," he asked, not specifying the item he wanted. A confident grin on his face.

Jaune was extremely surprised to see this other boy had gone through the effort to recover a stolen fruit. Why he didn't just grab another one from some other poor soul's booth stumped the Knight. Yet, he also followed Jaune and Ruby all the way up to Beacon Academy. Most of the Thief's actions were not making sense at the moment.

Frankly, Vale seemed to be much more eventful than Bar ever was. Meeting Ruby was probably the best part about it and a welcome trade from where he came from. Yet, Jaune had a sinking feeling that this was not going to be his last surprise. Hopefully, it was better than this one.

"Have what," Jaune asked for clarification, feigning ignorance.

"The apple," the thief admitted. "I know you have it in your bag."

"How do you know that," Jaune asked again, his tone unchanging.

"There's an apple-shaped bulge in the side of your bag," the thief pointed out.

"If that is so, then why should I give it to you," Jaune pressed, questioning the man with a stern tone. "Also, why trust me to be an accomplice when you don't even know who I am?

"Because pretty please with a cherry on top," the man said, pressing his hands together and pointing them at Jaune. "You also seem like a roguish gentleman like myself that I could trust."

 _I look like a rogue? What kind of backwards logic is this? You're not supposed to trust other criminals..._

Before Jaune could respond to the man's pleas, somebody bumped into his side. It was a brush between their shoulders for only a moment. The other person apologised and went on their way towards the academy.

However, the man noticed something was a miss. He reached down to his waist, finding something that should have been there to no longer be. The man spun around, looking at his feet to see if he had dropped something.

"Somebody stole my coin purse," he said with disbelief oozing from his voice. A look of dread and annoyance on his face.

Jaune and the Rogue looked off in the direction that other person had run off to at the same time. Near the main entrance to the great hall of the Academy stood a young woman clad entirely in black. She held up the missing coin purse, jiggling the bag playfully just to spite the boy.

Jaune swore he could have seen her smile.

"I think someone collected on your bad karma," the Knight said, turning to the Rogue and tossing him the apple. A shit-eating grin on Jaune's face appeared.

The other boy didn't seem to find any delight in this situation. He rubbed the back of his head, showing the embarrassment from being burned by another thief. Jaune presumed he also felt like an idiot.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, taking on a neutral tone. Yet, sounding like she was on a crusade against the boy. "What you did was wrong. You-

As Ruby was right about to get her words out, yet another person arrived on the stage. Jaune's day was only going to get more interesting from here. He knew it.

"Oh, Ruby~," another voice called out in a musical tone.

Jaune turned to see another woman standing a few feet away from the group. A smile dripping with unrestrained confidence on her lips and her hands on her hips. The Knight was struck silent by her presence.

The woman was another blonde like the Rogue and Jaune. A long golden mane came down her back, ending just below her hips. Every inch of it glowed in the sunlight much like the girl attached to it. Two lilac eyes, differing from Jaune's own cobalt irises stared at the group with a particular fire to them. The girl's lips contorted into a Chesire grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Her looks were attractive on a different level than Ruby's. The younger was gorgeous in her own way. Yet, this older woman who seemed to be about Jaune's age was the epitome of beauty. More full-figured compared to her younger sister and other teens. Something that appealed on a more primal level. _Everything_ about the girl drew attention to her.

Jaune continued to stare at her like he would a piece of art until her voice brought him to reality.

"I see you have found some friends," she continued, sporting a playful tone. "Two tall, handsome blondes nonetheless." She stopped for a moment and cupped her cheeks with a gasp. "You were totally checking both of them out, weren't you?! You wanted both of them at the same too!?" She let out another comical gasp. "Ruby, what would Dad think of this!?"

"Yang~" Ruby turned blood red, crying out as she went ramrod straight into her arms. The stunningly beautiful blonde who Jaune now knew as Yang giggled at the smaller girl's expense. And Jaune's loss as well because his cheeks were set aflame. The Rogue didn't seem to care at all.

Yang was dressed in all brown with orange highlights. Her outfit consisted of a leather jacket exposing some of her cleavage with a scarf wrapped around her neck. The rest of her clothes reflected the same style as her pants and riding boots, both being dark brown. It wasn't as unusual as Ruby's outfit, but it seemed she was more suited to riding horses. Jaune couldn't see any weapons on her, but she did wear a pair of gauntlets. Maybe she was a brawler?

The older sister let go of, the younger, allowing Ruby to wallow in her embarrassment. She gave a comical bow, placing her hand on her chest, the other coming off to the side, and one leg extending backwards.

"Yang Xiao Long, soon to be badass of Beacon Academy at your service," she confidently stated for the world to know. "Who might you gentlemen be?" Yang looked Jaune dead in the eyes with a stare that could kill a werewolf. A toothy grin on her lips magnified the powerful aura she gave off.

 _She's scary..._

"Ummm, Jaune," he answered curtly, not exposing any intimidation. "I ran into your sister in the marketplace."

Yang turned her gaze unto the third blond in their party. "And you?"

"Sun Wukong," he finally revealed his name hesitantly. "I was just made to look like the biggest idiot in Vale..."

Yang snorted at that. "Sounds like a fun story," she said. "But I've got a spot for us in the Main Hall, so let's go."

...

The main hall of Beacon Academy was bustling with activity. More than outside as hundreds of people were crammed into a single room, leaving no space to sit. Other than the small group with Jaune, he recognised nobody else. The sheer number caused Jaune to grow nervous as he had no way of knowing how the Initiation would go down.

A woman strode up to a stage and grabbed everyone's attention. She wore a white blouse and a faded black cape that fed into darker pants and black leather boots. The woman carried a wand in one hand, and a scroll in the other. Her blonde hair shone brilliantly in the light as it illuminated the rest of her figure. Jaune thought the woman must have been a sorceress or some kind of mage.

She made a small announcement, outing herself as Professor Goodwitch, and welcomed up another person. An older man sauntered up to the centre stage.

The man, only known as Professor Ozpin, looked to be in his fifties given his white hair. However, his facial features didn't corroborate that idea, making him seem younger; which may have been the case. A pair of spectacles sat on his nose, yet he didn't seem to use them; only sweeping through the crowd with his unyielding gaze with seemingly no problems.

Unlike the Sorceress, the man's outfit was much darker. He wore only a pair of black slacks with a matching blazer over a green vest. Around his neck, a small cross was pinned to a green cowl. In his right hand, he was wielding a cane, in the other, a small mug.

"Good afternoon," he began in a neutral tone. "Each of you has decided to undertake a tremendous journey. Many of you wish to become adventurers, warriors, and even Guardians of Remnant." His voice was rich yet had an almost cryptic undertone. "The Four Kingdoms of Remnant: Vale, Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral are experiencing a time of great peace and prosperity between them. Our job is to uphold this peace." He took a pause. "That means you will fight to keep this harmony. Not just in Vale, for you are the future of Remnant itself." He took another pause. "However, if any of you thought that was true... you are wrong. I only see wasted potential and unrestrained egos at the moment. It is my duty as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy to separate those who do not have the potential to defend our peace from those who do. But for now, I will direct all of you to Professor Goodwitch. I wish the best of luck to all of you, and I wish to speak to those who show potential in one week."

Nobody dared to clap at his speech. It felt like a slap to face, honestly. Just separating the wheat from the chaff at the time. That was the goal of whatever Ozpin had cooked up.

"Well, that was kind of depressing," Sun quipped. It didn't make Jaune feel any less anxious right now.

The Sorceress stepped up and took Ozpin's place.

"Tonight you will all sleep in the ballroom. I encourage you to relax and prepare yourselves for the tasks you will face over the next week. I will personally summon those who will be given Tasks for the coming week. Those Initiates will have to recruit those they find suitable for the mission. Your partnerships for the week will not be a permanent arrangement. However, we expect all of you to work within the best of your abilities together. Those who remain after this week will be official students of Beacon."

With that, Goodwitch followed Ozpin off the stage and retreated to an unknown location.

"Ok, gang," Yang began in an upbeat tone. "Uh, where do we go now?" Jaune chuckled to himself internally at the tone switch. None of them knew where the ballroom was.

"I think-" Jaune was about to speak up as something distracted him. Or someone.

A young woman clad almost entirely in white. Jaune could hardly find the words to describe her. She was beautiful. A goddess on Remnant. Her features were flawless. Not a single mark on her pale skin. Long silver hair flowed freely in a sideways ponytail that was white as snow. The rest of her was covered by a set of loose-fitting robes. Only blue highlights in her outfit broke the nearly monochromatic scheme.

From a distance, she seemed to be short. Petite more than likely. The woman was probably smaller than Ruby.

However, as Jaune continued to watch the girl, he noticed something about her. She had an almost melancholic expression. The girl did not attempt to speak to anybody or even recognise their presence. Frankly, she looked lonely, even standing in a crowd where any person could make that change.

"Ummm, hello," Yang called out to Jaune. The lack of response warranted a more physical intervention. As Yang was about to grab Jaune's shoulders and spin him around, she noticed what he had been looking at. "Oh, I see... You see something you like?" Yang tried to hold back a grin while Ruby didn't fare any better cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Uhh, Yeah, i-it's just that I," Jaune stuttered, trying to put together a coherent sentence. "Kind of... I'm not sure."

Jaune was dumbstruck by the woman's sheer beauty. Who wouldn't be, seeing an angel? His hormones surely didn't help as their glands dumped gallons of the stuff into his bloodstream. His brain turned into a jumbled mess, just thinking about her. The boy's entire world had just been yanked out from under him, thrown down a flight of stairs, and, finally, dropped off a cliff.

His reaction was different when it came to the other girls he had just met. Something about this particular one. Jaune didn't know why.

"Just go talk to her," Sun spoke up from behind Ruby, giving his advice. Jaune didn't even know why he was still here. "Don't think about it, just do it!"

 _How can I even speak to her? I've always been terrible with girls! But her... Do I even have a chance?_

"What he said, Lover Boy," Yang said, grabbing Jaune's shoulders and pushing him over to where the girl was. "Go talk to her, invite her to join us! It'll be a great time!"

Without any resistance from Jaune, Yang had dropped him off a few feet away from the girl. Luckily, her mind was focused on something else at the moment. She hadn't even acknowledged the scraping coming from the bottom of Jaune's boots as they ground against stone.

Jaune felt as though he was thrown overboard into a swirling pool of sharks. His friends, if he could even call them that, refused to throw him a lifeline. His throat was dry, he didn't know what to say.

 _Dad said to be confident. Confidence is key._

Before Jaune could even get a word out, she turned around with an annoyed expression on her face. Both of her eyes narrowed, zeroing in the boy standing before her. She crossed both her arms, giving the impression that she was closed off. The girl didn't seem interested in him at all.

Standing this close to the girl, Jaune was better able to appreciate her features. Her pearlescent skin was not unblemished. Only a single scar going down her left eye. Yet, that did not detract from her beauty. The girl, in return, stared back at him with two opal blue eyes in contrast to Jaune's cobalt.

"U-Um," he tried to begin, taking in a deep breath. "Hi." Jaune's brain fizzled and died. He didn't know how to talk to girls, and he was just thrown into the deep end. "I-I was wondering if you would like to join our group? You didn't seem to be with anyone, and I thought I could introduce you to my friends!"

Jaune felt relief from getting all of that out. He looked back to see Ruby waving at the two of them. Sun and Yang had massive grins on their faces.

"And who are you," she asked in a bitter tone. It really did seem like she wanted nothing to do with him or anybody right now.

"I-I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc," he greeted with a nervous smile. "Vampire Slayer."

The expression on her face only looked more displeased. Maybe she had something against Knights or Vampire Slayers? Or maybe Jaune specifically? However, it could be whatever soured her mood in the first place, and Jaune only added onto it.

"Are you another one of those brutes who is going to try wooing me with their feats?" Before Jaune could reply, she quickly up her mind and with a loud huff, stomped out of the room. The girl muttered something else under her breath about him, "Only wanting her for her name."

Jaune felt defeated... if he was describing the feeling correctly. He had only wanted to talk to her, but she misunderstood him. Maybe it was best just to give up on her for now and come back to her when she seemed to be in a better mood. Jaune had a few bad rejections in the past, so he only got used to the feeling. But it still stung his ego.

"Well that was rude," Ruby stated in what was probably the closest she could be to being irritated. Jaune wanted the situation to end, but Ruby pressed farther. "Jaune you only went to go talk to her, and she rejected you like that! You didn't even try anything romantic!"

"Ruby it's okay, really," Jaune tried to calm the growing inferno that was Ruby Rose. "I know how to take a hint. She's obviously mad about something and showed up at the wrong time." One of Jaune's most important lessons from his sisters was learning how to take a hint from women. Whenever Jaune had been rejected in the past, he didn't try to push any harder lest the rejection comes back to bite him even harder.

"No," she shouted at nobody and everybody. Those standing around her reeled back from the sudden aggressiveness. "I'm going to give her a piece of mind!" She trudged off in search of the girl. Her older sister followed behind, giddy about something.

"I love it when she's like this," Yang complimented her sister's actions to the two knights as she followed Ruby. The buxom Blonde cheerfully skipped behind the smaller girl as they disappeared into a corridor. "See, you guys later!"

 _Well, that was a thing..._

"I like the shorter one already," Sun mentioned out of nowhere as he and Jaune were alone now.

"Yeah, those two are _pretty_ interesting," Jaune agreed, kneading his forehead. "Too bad I'm used to seeing this kind of thing." He turned to leave the room with everyone else. "I'm going to find the ballroom, you can do whatever you want." Jaune waved back to the faunus.

 _Not like I have anything else to do today..._

* * *

 **Well that was chapter one! I just finished this at around 10:30 central time and I still have to study for my lab exam tomorrow. I even pulled an all-nighter just to hammer out half of this thing.**

 **The idea of levels in this fic is not totally from video games. I take it as with every level you gain, you collect more strength in certain regards. You achieve a higher level of proficiency in your class and are rewarded with a stats boost and a raise to one of your reseviours. It's like working out actually. You start at level one with whatever natural strength you already developed. By the time you get to level twenty. You can squat 300+ pounds like a beast. You can also develop your body in different ways. I chose to develop my body for aesthetics while my friend went for cardio. He gained a higher level in cardio and can run a 10K without breaking a sweat, so his stamina is off the charts. I can run a 10K but I'll probably die at the end of it. But his body is built for running while I'm built to lift stuff. We still have the same level of fitness but we got there doing different things. So everybody in Remnant is different and can develop their own styles. Think of it more as a state of being.**

 **If you enjoyed this fic, don't worry! I'll get another chapter finished in about a week and a half. Maybe longer since I also need to work on my other fic too. But if this one gets more love I might, key word "might," discontinue it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I finally finished setting up Jaune's stats, powers, health etc. I took some inspiration from the Oblivion, Fallout New Vegas, and Fallout 4 levelling system, but with the OG attributes. (Strength, Agility/Dexterity, Defence, Perception, Constitution, Intelligence, Charisma, and Willpower.) These stats are dependent upon the person's dispositions. Jaune and Ashton, for example, are powerhouses with an emphasis on strength, defence, and constitution. What separates the two knights are their personalities. Jaune having more intelligence than charisma, and Ashton having more charisma than intelligence.**

 **Jaune's Stats**

 **Level 10**

 **Strength 20**

 **Agility 12**

 **Defence 18**

 **Perception 22**

 **Constitution 25**

 **Intelligence 30**

 **Charisma 16**

 **Willpower 10**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

* * *

 **I think the writing portion went pretty well. If you guys have any tips that can help me improve my writing style or ideas to contribute to the development of the story. Please hit me up with a review. This chapter was more setting up the characters and the lore of the world in general. In this fic, I'm not writing Jaune as a moron because I probably couldn't ever make it work.**

 **This chapter is more of a focus on Jaune than the other characters. While Jaune is an aspiring knight, he is still a teenager and with that... comes teenage drama. I've had to pull whatever awkward teenager that remained inside of me out to make this work (not a large pool to pull from). So I modelled the interactions of the characters to how my friends and I acted in high school. Even though we were in the upper echelon of the social hierarchy. We were kind of weird... almost comical sometimes.**

 **My friends and I were huge dicks to each other back in high school now that I think about it.**

* * *

 **Edit Note (12/25/19): Second edit is done. I've pretty much rewritten most of this chapter to make it generally better. I've fixed like 99% of the grammar errors, and now this chapter flows like butter. I've also moved 4,000 of the words from the second half of the chapter to the third one, so I could wrap everything up there.**

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Jaune and Sun were, thankfully, directed to where the Initiates were supposed to store their bags. It felt weird for the Knight to have to leave his stuff behind. It was almost always at an arm's length or stored in a place he trusted. The boy was left without armour and only a pair of blue trousers and a black shirt. He was practically naked.

It didn't help that Bar was on the frontier of the Valish Kingdom. One of the oldest frontier villages and towns that sprung up near mines or fertile plains. Bandits and monsters were two of the main concerns most cities had since the forest allowed most dangers to move around unobstructed. At least the guards protected the most important sites, but the problem in Beacon was that Jaune had no familiarity with the environment. He knew when something was stalking him out in the woods; however, he couldn't be so sure in a densely packed academy.

Jaune was also still processing the very fresh wound on his ego delivered by the girl in the auditorium. The stuttering didn't help him with his cause, of course, but he couldn't help but feel nervous around girls. Sun and Yang knew about it and, praise the gods for whatever they were worth, didn't see fit to bust his balls over bungling what should have been a simple conversation.

He thought that some divine being exchanged his ability to talk to girls for his dumb luck. That would have been a joke for the ages. Jaune knew his confidence wasn't the issue. He could face down a pack of wolves and not feel anything, but when it came to girls, Jaune turned into a bumbling mess.

"Yo, Jaune," Sun drawled, waving his hand in front of Jaune's face. "Are you still alive, or do I need to get a healer?"

Jaune snapped back to reality. "Y-Yeah," he stuttered, before taking a breath to calm himself. "I was just... I was just thinking about that girl from earlier..." The boy sighed loudly. "I don't think I've ever seen someone so... perfect! And I screwed up any chance I had with her!"

"Screwed up," was putting it nicely.

However, Jaune still didn't know why Sun stuck around after the speech. The two really had no business together, and the Knight wasn't pleased by his actions earlier. The incident in the market coming back to bite the faunus was something to laugh about, in retrospect. Yet, Jaune's low opinion of the other boy didn't change due to that fact.

Jaune expected Sun to wander off and go find some friends of his own. But, he seemed to have some sort of inclination to stick around. The reason the Knight confided with the Rogue about his girl troubles was also beyond Jaune.

"Don't feel too bad, Jaune," Sun consoled the Knight, tucking his arms behind his head. "She was already in a _bad_ mood. Nobody saw it until we were too late... but you shouldn't worry about it!"

That only partially helped lift his mood. The circumstances were purely against Jaune. Maybe he would run into her after Initiation?

"Yeah," Jaune agreed begrudgingly. "Unlike how you were worrying about your stolen coin purse..."

The snarky comment came out of nowhere, merely flying from Jaune's lips without thought. He made his stance on what happened earlier but felt the need to reinforce his verdict.

"Ouch," Sun hissed, rubbing his chest. "Low blow dude."

Jaune rolled his eyes at Sun's assertion. It was nowhere near low to criticise someone else for stealing something from another person. Even if the item of value was minimal, Jaune still didn't see it as right. Yet, the Knight couldn't criticise Sun beyond that as he was not the most morally upright person either. Jaune, more or less, found it annoying.

"Not really... You're lucky Ruby didn't get the chance to rip into you," Jaune continued, still holding his neutral tone. "She would have just made you feel bad."

As Jaune knew Ruby now, she seemed to just be a good person. Add what he had already seen onto how the red-head reacted to the white-haired girl, and you would have a lecture that would have made you disappointed in yourself. The same thing coming from somebody like Yang or Jaune wouldn't have the same effect.

"Hey, man," Sun held up his hands while trying to explain himself. "I've already paid my dues to society. Besides, I'm from Vacuo, we see things a little differently down there."

 _Hmm, he seems genuine about it._

"Really," Jaune questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Jaune knew Vacuo was the least organised kingdom out of the big four. They had no centralised government aside from the city-state of Shade. Yet, the entire region was probably the most impoverished and deserted place on the planet apart from the lone seat of power.

"Yeah, to us, an apple doesn't mean anything," Sun explained, pulling out the apple he had stolen earlier and used it as an example. "Most of them are going to go bad anyway. So... vendors in Vacuo will give their leftover food to poor kids. Guys in Vale just feed yesterday's bread to the pigs. You feel me? I only took what was going to be thrown out."

 _I didn't think about it that way... But, I'm not sure about the logic behind it._

Sun had a point about the food being thrown out. Jaune witnessed bakers and even his own family feeding old fruits and vegetables to the livestock, so they could get something out of the expired food. Yet, Jaune still didn't see stealing as wholly right, but he expected his notions of what was right and wrong to be challenged here in Vale. Especially when there was justification for it. Even if the argument was rather poor.

"I see," Jaune said, rubbing his hand along his jaw.

"Now, you're speaking my lingo," Sun exclaimed, turning to push open the set of doors before them.

Pushing the hatch open, the Knight and Rogue were greeted to a massive room filled with hundreds of other Initiates. Small groups had formed, with many segregating themselves to mono-gender groups. Some groups had separated themselves by class with Rogues, Warriors, and Mages staying as far away from each other as possible. Class and racial rivalries were the prime cause of the strife.

Even if Jaune was in the out-group when it came to his view on Classes; most of Remnant didn't see it the same way. Jaune just didn't give a shit about Class, only character. However, due to stereotypes and preconceived notions of other Class members, heroes and even ordinary villagers would often assume the worst. Not without reason, of course.

Jaune walked past a small group of girls next to the door. When he and his companion passed by, the girls quickly huddled together in hushed conversation. Sun noticed this, shooting a glance and smile to the group only to receive blushes and giggling in response. A bit cliche, but considering Jaune's fellow man was, objectively, quite attractive, there was no point in thinking about it any further.

This room was just a cesspool of teenage hormones, anyway. Quite a few of Jaune's peers may be looking for companionship or perusing the available options.

In realising that, Jaune couldn't help but feel people were watching him from the sidelines. It was enough to give him chills.

 _Don't think about it too much Jaune. Nobody is going to bother with you..._

As both men kept wandering through the crowds looking for a spot to sit down. Jaune noticed the white-haired girl, and she noticed Jaune. The girl was mingling amongst a group of robed figures who Jaune could only assume were mages or... cultists. Jaune was going with the former. The moment the two laid eyes on each other, she began glaring daggers at the boy. He considered going over there to talk to her and apologise for earlier, but getting incinerated by mages was not something he wanted at the moment. He couldn't help but feel she hated his guts right now and the room had grown a few degrees colder.

 _Ok, don't want to stick my hand into the viper's nest..._

Jaune turned away to find Ruby waving like a madwoman from across the room. He waved back, heading over to the girls to join them since they were the only people he knew here. Yang made a crack about something, and Ruby quickly sat down, her face turning bright red. Jaune could only assume it was something outrageously vulgar and embarrassing considering his older sisters made any and every effort to tease him around any female friends he made.

That's what life was like for the middle sibling of the family. His youngest sisters were too young to be interested in boys leaving Jaune to be the one getting harassed by his family members. Jaune's twin, Joan, and younger sister, Cereza, were the least relenting in their quest to embarrass him.

"Hey, Ruby. Hey, Yang," Jaune greeted the sisters. He noticed another girl among the siblings.

This girl was stunningly beautiful, very much like Yang. Both having similar filled-out body types, yet, the new girl's musculature was more prominent. By more prominent, meaning more vividly defined. Deep angular lines crisscrossed her smooth tanned skin, marking where the muscles rose and fell into her figure. With every movement, striations appeared momentarily on her skin, revealing how much she trained and how little body fat this girl had.

However, what first brought Jaune's attention to the girl was her hair. A brilliant scarlet red. Done up into a long wolf tail kept tied high above her head. The long flowing sea of red came down just below her hips. Jaune could only imagine if the girl had untied her locks and let it fall freely.

Sitting just below her hair and weaving through it was a circlet. Gold most likely if Jaune had to make his guess. Two teardrop-shaped emeralds dangled from the circlet, bringing attention to her eyes. Her eyes were probably her most notable feature aside from that scarlet mane. Such a deep emerald ocean that Jaune nearly found himself getting lost inside of.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby excited chirped. She turned to the other girl, "This is Pyrrha. She's super cool!"

 _So, Pyrrha is her name..._

"Hello~," Pyrrha politely greeted almost in a sing-song tone.

Hearing her voice, only served to draw Jaune in even further. It was such a pleasant sound to hear. Like a chorus of angels emanating from inside of a living person.

Yang looked up as Jaune stood over the group, and her mouth dropped. "Holy shit, Jaune," she exclaimed loud enough to garner attention from a neighbouring group. "When were you going to tell us you were packing."

Without warning, she stood and promptly pulled Jaune's shirt up showcasing his abs causing Ruby and Pyrrha to flush while Yang wolf-whistled. Two scars crossing his abs also were revealed as the girls stared at his abdomen. Another whistle also rang through the air, although nobody could tell where it came from.

 _And Yang ruined it..._

"Hey-hey-hey," Jaune fought, taking his shirt back as his cheeks turned bright red. "I wear a shirt for a reason! Leave it be!" He quickly sat down while the undeniable chuckle from Sun ceased. It was another case of him being nervous around girls and an unusually direct one at that.

"Mama likey," Yang said with a toothy grin, directed at Jaune.

Jaune was in relatively good shape. He may not have been enormous, but he had muscle. Muscle gained from doing farmwork and blacksmithing for the last seven years. Combine that with a proper diet and most kids would become a colossus by the time they reach adulthood. However, Yang diving onto him like a dog would to steak was something he had never experienced.

"I gots to see the goods, Jaune," Yang countered, causing Jaune to imitate Ruby's cloak. She leaned in, facing the boy. "I _liked_ what I saw."

Both of Jaune's cheeks began to resemble Ruby's cloak. _Oh, boy... this is not how I expected my day to go. I can't tell if she's teasing me or flirting._

Sun laughed out loud again at the scene playing out before him. "Wow, I'm jealous," he said in a sarcastic tone. "How come I'm not getting all this attention?" His question dragged Yang's focus off of Jaune and over to the faunus.

 _Thank you..._

"Ehh," Yang uttered her opinion, giving a so-so gesture. "You're buff, but you show it off, so the surprise kind of goes out the window. However, Jauney Boy was something _unexpected_." She turned over to face him again. "I totally took you for being a string bean under that armour. You holding out on us?!"

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ A twinge of fear shot through Jaune's very core.

"Yang, will you leave my friend alone; you're going to break him," Ruby barked at her sister, getting a raspberry blown at her in return. The red-head adjusted her posture, sitting between Jaune and Yang. "Besides... are you guys ready for tomorrow!"

Ruby's change of tone from serious to excited seemed to bring everyone back into focus. The others started gathering around in a circle, sitting down with their blankets or sleeping bags. A few other groups in the general area followed suit with their friends.

"I hope I get something fun!" Sun plopped down between Yang and Pyrrha. "A den of monsters or a dungeon run would be cool."

 _That sounds fun... I haven't really seen any monsters outside of town. But a dungeon? How can I get something like that?_

"Yeah, I'm hoping for something interesting too," Jaune agreed, keeping the conversation going. "Maybe some magic or a hunting a chort."

Chort's were large bulky quadrupedal creatures boasting large fore-limbs like an ape. According to Jaune's father's bestiary, they inhabited the woodlands of Vale and Mistral; coming in a variety of colours from light brown to dark grey. These monsters were unstoppable when they got into a charge and would use their horns to demolish buildings or skewer their unfortunate victims.

Pyrrha finally spoke up. "I don't mean to offend, but don't you think a chort is far beyond our level?"

"Only when we fight alone," Jaune retorted, pointing over at the girl. "My dad said the trick to fighting chort's is you need to work in groups. Some of you kiting it and others tanking swipes. Then someone with a silver sword or knife stabs it to slowly bleed it out. You can also go after the eyes and blind it, but you need a marksman that can hit something the size of apple attached to a bucking bull."

Jaune knew this because he made sure to study every available book on monsters. Every diagram of their physiology - fighting strategies - anything that he could find. He would end up becoming the most unconventional knight on Remnant, but he would have quite the repertoire to give to any king or lord he chose to serve. Monsters were quite the problem both in and out of the kingdoms, even within the capital cities you could find some sort of beast stalking the back alleys of docks or the poorer districts. So lords would pay handsomely to remove monsters that threatened their families or property.

"Sounds like fun," Yang hopped on the wagon. "Rubes said you're like a monster hunter or something? Fought a vampire..." A pregnant pause followed. "Now that you mention it. Ruby seemed to overly excited in regaling me with the details of your tale. That seems _awfully_ suspicious after you just met her." Yang looked to her sister and started wiggling her eyebrows. The Reaper tried fixing her older sister with a glare only to find out the Brawler was immune to it. Jaune found another blush creeping up his cheeks.

"By the way, Jaune, what is your level," Yang asked, out of genuine curiosity and a way to get off topic and spare Ruby. "I'm level twenty!" Yang held her fists out in a boxer's stance. Yang seemed as though she were proud of her level. It was something to be proud of since she was twice his level.

"I'm... level ten," Jaune said hesitantly, wincing in anticipation. His level was something he had been embarrassed about. In comparison to two of his friends so far, Jaune had been wholly eclipsed by them in sheer power. He didn't want to be seen as weak or in need of protection.

"Eh, not that bad," Sun followed up, shrugging his shoulders.

"I agree, actually," Pyrrha, said, gesturing with her hands. "The academies give lots of opportunities for adventurers to level up quickly. I'm sure most of us have been training for several years now?" She looked around at the others, and they gave their confirmation. Jaune did as well, shutting up and hearing what she had to say. "With the higher level enemies we may have to deal with, you could certainly catch up to everyone else in a few months or even a few weeks. However, given that your level is low, you might actually have an advantage over us."

"How," Ruby asked, scooting forward to hear Pyrrha's theory.

 _I'm curious too..._

"You will be used to challenges and not underestimating your opponents," she explained. "In Mistral, we have warriors fight monsters beyond their capabilities to teach discipline. They always have to be careful and never make mistakes, or they die." She glanced around the circle once. "That's how we get young but very experienced warriors. They are usually younger than we are, but most students here won't have the same level of training."

"So, I'll just be used to getting the crap kicked out of me and get stronger because of that," Jaune asked with a slightly rhetorical tone.

"In a manner..."

Yang let out a loud snort. "Well, Jaune..." She smacked the top of his back. "Get through this Initiation with us, and we'll make a man out of you yet!"

"I'm not a man?"

"Eh..." Yang shrugged her shoulders, giving him a so-so answer. "Boyish good looks, but just needs some polishing."

[The next morning]

Jaune couldn't help but feel like shit when he woke up. The floor was not a forgiving being, and it was a far-cry from Jaune's own bed. It could have also been the ale from yesterday coming back to haunt him. However, good ol' feeling of malaise made itself quite known.

Opening his eyes, Jaune was gifted with the startling sight of Yang sleeping about an inch from his face.

Like Jaune, Yang was also sleeping on her side. One of her arms was draped over her head, and the other acted as a pillow. Her expression remained unstirred as Jaune moved to back away. Actually, it was still peaceful and seemingly well-rested. Only a small strand of Yang's hair was out of place, touching the corner of her mouth. The rest spilt out from under her and pretty much went everywhere it wanted to.

Jaune would have been excited about falling asleep next to a girl like Yang. Any guy with half a brain would be. She was a gorgeous young woman who pretty much checked off every possible box. However, Jaune found this to be extremely awkward.

Aside from his own sisters, this was probably the closest he had ever come to cuddling with a girl. So, finding himself in such close proximity to a nonrelated girl was a first. It made Jaune's cheeks flush a deep red, and he almost let out a yelp in surprise as his brain fully caught up.

As Jaune took a second to figure out what happened, he realised it seemed as though Yang had rolled over in her sleep. She and Jaune did have their sleeping bags right next to each other with about a foot separating the two. Tossing and turning was usual in uncomfortable sleeping arrangments after all. Yang had also slept facing away from him.

 _Ok, time to escape..._

He pushed himself off the ground, making sure as to not disturb Yang. Jaune did not want to get clobbered by the blonde if she thought he was trying to make a move on her. It would also make him look bad in front of Ruby and the others, which Jaune preferred not to come about.

He actually liked these people. They were far more interesting than the other kids back in Bar. But for now, he needed to prepare for his day. Jaune could connect with his new friends later.

Looking around, Jaune took a quick scan of the room to see if anybody else had awoken. Most were still asleep with only one or two others sitting up from the floor. It was early, so Jaune expected that not many would be so willing to rise. The Initiation wasn't supposed to start for another hour or two.

"Hey, Jaune," a soft voice spoke up from below him.

Jaune looked down and to his right to find Ruby sitting up in her sleeping bag. The younger girl rubbed her right eye, letting out a yawn telling Jaune of her condition. Her ruffled hair and bags under her eyes, giving credence for Ruby's still sleepy state.

"Did I wake you up," Jaune replied with an answer.

Ruby shook her head. "Nah," she said groggily. "I didn't feel like getting up. I just heard you moving around.

"I see..." Jaune turned to the entrance of the ballroom. Ruby noticed, shooting up onto her feet. "I'm going to get dressed, I'll meet you guys back here in a few minutes. Then we can start looking for a quest!"

"Yeah, I gotta get Yang up," Ruby replied, shedding off the grogginess in favour of some pep. "We'll find you in the courtyard!"

[Locker Room]

Opening the door to his locker, Jaune reached inside, grabbing every piece of his kit. He wasn't sure what sort of adventure he would be in for today, so he was going to take everything with him. Much of it may not have been suited for battle, however, if this adventure took more than a day, his equipment would come in handy.

Jaune slid into his breastplate, buckling the straps connecting the steel to a leather pad on his back. It fit snugly with the little space left filled by his gambeson, acting as a buffer. The other pads and pauldrons were held on by their own buckles, which Jaune fastened appropriately.

Both of his swords, bound together by an improvised harness, were thrown over his shoulder with an additional leather strap connecting them to his belt. They moved around freely, needing to so Jaune could resheathe them without any difficulty. Aside from the position, both would behave like any normal one strapped to man's side.

 _Ok, I've got everything. Pot. Check. Knives?_ Jaune reached down to his side, finding his kukri to be there. Another hunting knife sat on the back of his waist. _Got em. Blanket, oil, whetstone, potions are all here._

 _I think I've got everything. Time to find Ruby..._

"Arc," a voice spoke up from behind Jaune. Her tone was bitter, holding a biting chill to it that made the boy's skin crawl.

Jaune turned around to find the white-haired girl from yesterday standing behind him. She store wore that same annoyed expression, yet, it remained stifled for the moment. There wasn't any emotion there. Maybe it was her default expression?

 _What the hell is she doing here?_

"Oh... it's you again," Jaune said, unsure of what to say. Actually, he was quite surprised that she sought him out.

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what's that supposed to mean," she asked, bearing a harsh tone. She obviously took some offence to it.

 _Oh boy..._

"Uh... nothing," Jaune explained. "I just didn't think I would run into you again." He rubbed the back of his head, nervously. "You seemed pretty angry with me back in the auditorium."

Jaune wasn't sure why she was angry. However, he had a feeling the girl was going to tell him. Given her temper, Jaune wasn't sure what to expect.

"I see..." The girl took in a deep breath. "...then I should _apologise_ ," she confessed forcibly, making it seem like she didn't want to be here. "I let an unrelated matter affect how I behaved. It led me to mistreat you... For that... I am sorry." She turned away from him, looking towards the ground. Both of her cheeks slightly darkened.

 _Uhhh, she looks adorable with that face... I can't let her take the blame for this. It's my fault too._

"It's cool," Jaune said, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck. The girl glanced up at him with a confused look. "I mean... You looked sad. Kinda lonely... I guess. It was probably a bad time for me to show up. I didn't think it through."

"You did _nothing_ wrong," the girl replied with a little more force. She was beginning to become angry at Jaune. Nearly shouting. "I just apologised and said it had nothing to do with you! I took my anger out on you when I shouldn't have. Don't think you can take any blame in this, Arc!" She walked up to him, poking Jaune in the chest. The girl pronounced every syllable, making sure Jaune understood. "You were trying to be nice! So, accept the apology!"

Jaune held up his hands, showing his surrender. He backed up a step to give some distance between them. Her speech didn't help to make him feel any better, but it was actually becoming funny. She was too cute to be intimidating to Jaune.

"Ok, ok," Jaune broke under the pressure, purposely giving the girl her victory. "I get it... Just couldn't help but blame myself. Thanks for coming to talk to me anyway. It took a weight off my chest."

The girl shifted back a foot from Jaune, crossing her arms. She glanced up at the boy, seemingly inspecting him for some reason. Her expression indicated she was deep in thought.

"It's fine," the girl sighed, turning her gaze away from Jaune and to an adjacent door. She took another deep breath. "However, I have a question for you..."

 _She's actually talking to me!_

Jaune froze up again now that Weiss seemed more open to him. Whatever Ruby said, if she spoke to Weiss, might have changed her mind about Jaune. His hands felt clammy, beginning to sweat a little bit. The mood itself took a more serious turn. Jaune could have cut it with a knife.

"What about?"

"You claim to be a vampire slayer," she asked for clarification.

"Yeah," Jaune answered. "I'm a Knight, but I hunt monsters, and I've killed a vampire too."

"I see," the girl pondered, cupping her chin. She looked back up to Jaune, staring him in the eye. "Then you know how to deal with undead then?" She turned and began walking out of the locker room. Jaune followed behind with his bag in tow.

Jaune wasn't sure if she was talking about a specific type or the garden variety of undead beings. Zombies, mummies, spirits, or anything that crawls out of a crypt usually counts. Bar had plenty because of some of the older settlements that had large graveyards.

"Of course," Jaune replied confidently. "Silver sword, fire, and a good axe are all I needed! Dismembering is usually the easiest way to kill them, though. In my hometown, we burn our dead, so we don't have that problem. But, just taking off the head's usually enough..."

"Silver sword?" The girl stopped, turning around to face Jaune. They ended up in another hallway away from prying eyes.

"Yep... Made it myself!"

The girl took a deep breath. "Then I suppose I can use you," she concluded. "So, bring whatever people you like. I will be waiting in the main hall." Without giving Jaune the time to reply, she walked off, heading towards another hallway.

"Wait, for the Task," Jaune shouted to the fleeting image of the girl.

"Yes, you dunce," she shouted back. "What else would I be talking about?!"

[Ballroom]

Heading back into the ballroom, Jaune found what could only be described as chaos. Hundreds of students were walking about, attempting to gather their sleeping mats or were just sitting around and talking. Jaune didn't know how he was going to find Ruby and the others in this mess.

The girl coming to find him was an excellent way to start his day. Jaune was relieved he hadn't done anything to anger her. Having a Task for him to bring all of his friends along was even better. Although he didn't get her name.

 _Dammit... That's the one thing I forgot! Why didn't I ask?_

"Yo, Jaune," a voice called out to him from behind. Jaune turned to find that Sun was making his way through the crowd. "There you are, dude. Ruby asked me to go find you."

"What for?"

Sun kept walking past, going out the door. Jaune followed behind, getting to an area with less noise. Some other students were out in the hallway, but they were trying to find their lockers or running to grab food.

"Some girl grabbed everybody for a Task," he explained. "Gathering stuff or something like that. Literally, it is the easiest thing we could do to get into Beacon."

It sounded very tempting. However, Jaune wasn't all for abandoning the girl after she recruited him. Blowing her off would be a great way to ensure she never wanted to speak with him again.

"Yeah..." Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head. "That girl from yesterday came to talk to me. She wants me to help her with a Task. Something dealing with the undead."

"Really?"

"Yep..."

"Damn, that sounds like way more fun," Sun declared cheerfully. "Count me in! I've already got my stuff, so when are we leaving?"

"Now." Jaune turned and began heading off to the main hall. "We'll tell Ruby on the way out."

"After you, then..."

[Main Hall]

The great hall of Beacon academy was a massive open structure. The ceiling was at least one hundred feet high, held up by arches. Over a dozen created this large rib vault, holding up the roof. Between each arch was a large stained glass window, depicting a battle or another historical even. It resembled any Gothic-style building, only on a larger scale than the rest of the cities' buildings.

 _Holy shit, this place is huge!_

Jaune had not had the chance to take in this sight before now. He had been dragged inside the auditorium by Yang, so this went unnoticed. However, now without any distractions, he found this room to be very interesting. Almost inspiring in a way. Jaune was in the footsteps of probably thousands of other adventurers who came before him.

"Hello," another voice called out to Jaune impatiently.

Jaune looked down to see the girl standing a few feet from him. A haughty expression on her face. She waved once more, realising that Jaune was now paying attention to her.

"Are you two done gawking," the girl asked again. Jaune's posture stiffened unconsciously. "We have a Task to attend to, and I would like to begin as soon as possible."

"Jeez, this girl is really pushy," Sun whispered under his breath. It was loud enough for Jaune to hear, and he agreed. "Kind of acts like a princess..."

"Yeah..." Jaune turned to Sun, ignoring what he said, but realised he didn't know the girl's name. He couldn't possibly introduce the two without it. "Um... I never got your name."

"Weiss," she said, lacking any enthusiasm whatsoever. "Weiss Schnee."

"Yeah, Weiss," Jaune turned back to Sun. "Sun Wukong. Met him yesterday. Decided to join our merry band when he heard about the undead."

"Sup'!"

"I see," Weiss replied, looking rather unenthused. "What about the rest of your group? The bimbo and her little sister?"

Jaune had to hold his tongue at that. He may have only known Yang for a day, but it still irked him to have one of his friends called such a derogatory term. However, Jaune wasn't sure of Weiss' background, so she may not have meant it in such a way. So, he would bite his tongue for now.

"Yang and Ruby," Jaune corrected, emphasising their names and not the labels Weiss had given them. "Those two and Pyrrha got recruited to another Task, so we're all you've got..."

Weiss let out a stiff breath of air. "Fine then," she acquiesced, looking back up to Sun and Jaune. "You two..." She pointed towards the boys. "...will be escorting me through some ruins. We will be making some rubbings from deep within the structure, so expect-"

"Your majesty, if I may interrupt," Sun began in a patronising tone. Without seeking permission, he just continued. "If we join you. What's in it for us? For _me_? And for my comrade? I hear we're going to be looking through some ruins, so I'm expecting some treasure."

Jaune would have stopped Sun from interrupting, but it was already done. He and Weiss already had an uneasy relationship going, so Jaune didn't want to hurt it.

However, the mission being set inside of some ruins made things interesting. Jaune did expect there to be treasure too, especially if the ruins were untouched. It also depended on what the ruins were initially intended to be. So, they could be walking into a goldmine.

A soft grunt came from within her throat. "You two may have whatever you want from within the crypt," Weiss conceded. "If you find anything that contains magic, please let me see it."

"What, you don't trust us with magic," Sun retorted, to Weiss' growing annoyance.

 _Sun... Shut the fuck up!_

"No... because I'm a mage and would prefer that my escorts didn't kill themselves," Wess explained, kneading the bridge of her nose. "Magic is a fickle thing and should only be handled by mages."

"Oh, she does care about you, Jaune," Sun quipped, padding the top of Jaune's shoulder. Weiss' cheeks became dusted with a light red coating. "You can carry the Lady Mage's bags!" The faunus walked off, heading towards the front door.

A Knight, Mage, and a Rogue made an interesting party composition. Mages are almost useless in close quarters, relying on a substantial distance between them and their targets to effectively cast spells. If a swordsman or assassin were to close the space, they would have no way to defend themselves unless trained as a spellsword. Thus most mages employ an escort, or a melee fighter would make a deal and work together with a mage. Sun and Jaune would be perfect for both offence and defence in this case. The former could move around the battlefield freely, and Jaune could sit by Weiss' side as she used her magic to tear apart their enemies.

"I don't need someone to carry my bags," Weiss grumbled. "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself!"

"Your majesty," Sun began, walking back over to Jaune's side. He placed a hand on his counterpart's shoulder. "My friend here is, 'Strong like bull.' And let's be honest here, Mages are not strong, like at all. Weak Strength Stats and all that good stuff. So, let us do the heavy lifting because we'll need you to be well-rested if we get into a fight."

"I got it, Weiss," Jaune agreed, lifting both his and Weiss' bags over his shoulder.

Sun went outside, leaving Weiss and Jaune alone among the hundreds of other students. It left the two in an awkward silence over what to say next; Jaune too nervous to say anything. Not that he could start a conversation with the girl at all. He barely knew what Weiss could be interested in aside from maybe something dealing with magic.

"Is your friend always like this," Weiss asked, annoyance still permeating her voice.

"He's very straightforward," Jaune said with a nervous laugh. "Y-You'll get used to it. Sun kind of grows on you." He looked around for a way out of the conversation. "We should go find him before he gets bored and looks for another group. I also got to go find Ruby and tell her where we're going..."

"They passed by a few minutes ago," Weiss explained.

"Oh..."

[Outside]

Jaune followed Weiss out of the main hall and into the courtyard. Sun had actually been waiting just outside the door as if he had left the two alone purposely. Which, Jaune didn't know if he was happy about it or terrified at the prospect of being abandoned. However, looking around, Jaune could not see Ruby or any other member of their group.

 _Damn... Must have missed them._

"So Weiss, what are we looking for in this crypt," Sun asked, pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning against. "I know you said we are making rubbings, but I want more details."

 _Good, this is something I can get behind. I can actually talk about something serious with her. No small talk at all._

"The name of the ruins is unknown, but the glyphs we are looking for are in the deepest chamber." Weiss pulled a scroll from her satchel and presented it to Sun. "The ruins are old enough that we might run into draugr."

"Draugr," Sun repeated, looking at Weiss and then Jaune. "Never heard of them..."

"Undead warriors," Jaune explained. " They're not like normal undead that just comes back to life from disease or having been wronged in this life. Nobody knows why they come back to life. Some think it's magic or they never really died in the first place."

Draugr were some of the most dangerous creatures Jaune's dad encountered. The bestiaries described them as undead humans with no connection to the living except for pseudo-sapient intelligence. All of the oldest Valish ruins are filled with several dozens to hundreds of Draugr.

"I don't care about what they are," Sun scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I want to know how to kill them."

"You really are a brute aren't you," Weiss seethed as she took the scroll away from Sun. "Knowing what a monster is, happens to be just as important as killing it." She turned to Jaune, giving him an approving nod.

"They can be killed by normal means," Jaune continued. "However, draugr are extremely dangerous. They can coordinate attacks, play dead, and can use magic. The best way to kill Draugr is by using silver or fire magic."

"Oooooo, I can do that very well," Sun excitedly proclaimed, grabbing his bo staff with both hands. He added a little bit of pressure and the stick snapped in half at one of the metal bands wrapped around the shaft. The two new sections broke apart into two solid cylinders held together by chains made from an orange light. This magic hissed like a piece of metal being cooled by water. The final result of the new weapon was two separate nunchucks. "Ruyi Bang, and Jingu Bang. Both enchanted with fire magic. Runes on the ends make sure I don't have to replenish the enchantments. So, I think we've got this covered..."

"Good," Jaune pulled his silver sword out and showed it to Weiss. She glanced at the sword but didn't seem as interested in it as Ruby. "I can use my ability and Ira Rubrum to hold a line. If you guys want to use magic to control the flow of battle-we can sail through this ruin. Most passages in ruins are only two people wide, and I can stuff myself in the middle."

Jaune thought it was a great idea. An impromptu phalanx with Jaune's high strength with Sun using his bo staff like a spear. Taking advantage of magic and Arclight would leave the draugr helpless for Ira Rubrum to sever limbs.

"We need more people," Weiss advised, cutting into the conversation. "If draugr are as dangerous as Jaune says. The three of us won't be able to-"

"Four now," a young woman from the side chimed in. "I want in too."

She was leaning against one of the pillars in the central courtyard. Half of her face was covered under a black hood. The rest of the outfit was monochromatic with black knee-high boots, trousers, formfitting leather cuirass, and shoulder pads. She carried several weapons. A katana on her back, a bow and quiver, and a belt of throwing knives attached to her chest. "You might want this back."

She threw Sun 's missing coin purse, which he caught in his right hand. The boy's expression shifted to a confused one as he inspected the leather bag. Small clinking sounds emanated from the sack as he felt the weight.

"Might I ask why I am getting this back?"

"I was teaching you a lesson," she explained. "Stealing small stuff like apples makes you look like an amateur. It's also an excellent way to get yourself killed, wasting your talent on marks that are not worth the time." She lifted up her hood to reveal her face. Surprisingly, she was a faunus. Two cat ears jutted out from the top of her black mane. Her hair was like Yang's, yet shorter, falling down halfway on her back. A cold stare from her amber eyes scanned each of the teens before her in stark contrast to her attractiveness, creating an air of mystery oozing with grace.

Jaune looked over to Sun whose cheeks, for the first time that he saw, flushed a dark crimson. Jaune would have busted out laughing if he hadn't been the same around Weiss.

"You cannot be considering letting her come with us," Weiss shouted in outrage at Jaune. "She's a-a-a-a thief! She could backstab us at any moment!" Sun looked as though he would step in and shut Weiss down, but Jaune intervened.

"Breaking into ancient ruins and letting us take treasure makes _us_ thieves, Weiss," Jaune retorted. "She managed to steal lien from Sun! That makes her more than qualified to join us!" Jaune was finding it hard to comprehend a reason why she didn't want a thief on their team. He didn't have any issues with... whatever her name was.

"Yeah," Sun agreed. "My Class might not be 'Thief.' But I am one. There ain't nothing I can't steal. So, why not use two."

"I also read the scroll over your shoulder and know all of the details for the Task," the woman spoke up in a cold, and deadly serious tone. "Whether you like it or not, _I'll_ be joining the three of you." The two women stared at each other for several seconds in suppressed anger. Jaune could have sworn he'd seen lightning bolts shooting between them. "I'm also an assassin, Mage. So, I think you've got bigger things to worry about other than your coin purse."

As those words left the girl's mouth, Weiss' body tensed up. Her expression went from neutral to barely hidden anger. Jaune could see the present fear behind her eyes. He was afraid the girl might go for her sword.

"Fine," Weiss snapped, turning around and stomping out to the middle of the courtyard.

 _What was that about?_

As Weiss reached the centre of the courtyard, she pulled a purple crystal from her bag and fumbled it between her hands. For what seemed like ages, the girl tried to activate the crystal to no avail. With every failed attempt, Weiss seemed to be getting angrier.

"Why isn't this thing working," Weiss shouted at the crystal, seemingly unable to figure it out. Jaune didn't either, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Maybe you should just smash it," Sun suggested in all his glory.

"You dolt, you just don't _smash_ anything like this!"

"Yeah you do," Sun asserted, taking the crystal from Weiss. "It's a teleportation magicon. You break the crystal, and it opens a portal. Like this!" He smashed the crystal on the ground, opening up a swirling vortex. You could not see the other side, there was only a black abyss before them. "My master showed how these things work."

The black-haired girl was the first to step up to the portal. She turned around, glancing at Sun and Jaune. "I'm Blake." Without allowing for a reply, she stepped inside, disappearing into the void.

Weiss followed right after. Jaune was about to step inside but found himself unable to. He wasn't sure why, but every alarm inside his body went off, preventing him from taking that first step.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of portals?!"

"I've never done anything like this before!"

"Just get in there!"

With a hard shove, Jaune was thrown through the void into the other side.

[Unknown Location]

Jaune came out on the other side of the vortex, landing on his stomach. As he lay there on the ground, Jaune felt this sensation of nausea creep upon him. It wasn't too long before he regurgitated the contents of his stomach onto the dirt laying in front of him.

"Ugghhh, why did we have to do that," Jaune groaned after he vomited again. "I think it's official, I hate portals."

"You actually handle portals a lot better than some other people," Weiss complimented. "For your first time, you should have passed out. Vomiting is actually good."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jaune groaned as he felt another retch coming up.

* * *

 **That's chapter two!**

 **Holy shit! This story got a lot of love! In one chapter, I got more followers than the other five chapters of my other story. I'm going to do my best to continue writing both stories because I have both thoroughly planned out. I might have to write 5,000-6,000 word chapters instead of my usual 7,000-8,000.**

 **I also have some rationale for the OC. To give some backstory to the story, I set up the OC and Jaune to be best friends. Basically Sun and Neptune's friendship but with different characters.**

 **As the story goes on and Jaune develops his relationships with the other characters. We will see the OC less and less as we keep developing the plot. Jaune will still be friends with the OC but Jaune will begin hanging out with Weiss and Ruby more often. Especially after I get to where Jaune and Weiss enter into a relationship. The OC is basically there to help move the plot along more smoothly.**

 **Side Note**

 **I've been staying up till four in the morning to work on this and the other pieces that I'm writing. Then going to sleep for three hours and waking up at seven to go work out. I am operating entirely on protein shakes and the will to live at the moment.**

 **Video games too**


	3. Chapter 3

**Just got this chapter done before Fall Break! So I might be MIA for a few days.**

 **I spent about four hours on Thursday writing the last part of this section. Then I got back to playing Far Cry 5. I realised how difficult that game is on the hardest difficulty. I haven't played it in almost six months, but my muscle memory for Skyrim didn't help.**

 **I also have the plot drawn up for my first Dragonslayer fic! I decided to set it in a high school (I know that might seem a bit cheesy to some, but I have never seen a high school DragonSlayer so I'm shooting my shot). It's a bit different from my other two fics, but if you have any ideas or if you would like to possibly Beta for me I would appreciate the assistance.**

 **In this chapter, we wrap up Jaune's first mission. And we begin the start of the friendship between Weiss and Jaune.**

* * *

After Jaune was done puking his guts up. He was finally able to get back to the mission. Everyone else was already waiting by some stones that were scattered next to their entry point. Weiss stared down at him with this impatient glare, while Sun was chatting to Blake with the latter not listening to him.

Pushing himself off the ground, Jaune glanced up to find the ruins they were looking for.

The ruins were... massive to put it lightly. The main entrance was nearly one-hundred feet tall. An enormous arch covered the stone doors. All over the ruin, there were reliefs and sculptures of every conceivable animal. Massive wolf heads to mighty dragons. Everything about this place screamed insanity. All carved out of a single rock face.

Jaune's jaw dropped. "How has nobody already looted this place?" He walked up to the stone doors. "This must have been here for thousands of years!"

"The draugr tend to discourage unwanted visitors," Blake reminded him.

"Not to mention the traps, giant spiders, or giant snakes."

 _Wait... giant snakes! They only live in the southern parts of Vale. I can do spiders but-snakes!_

"The doors seem intact, we need to find a way in." Weiss traced her hand over some glyphs. Muttering something under her breath. "Most ruins won't have access through the front doors. There should be an alternate route."

"Maybe a cave," Sun chimed in. "A cave would be used as an exit if the builders carved a tunnel leading to it. I've seen places like this in Vacuo, and they use any natural rock formations to do the work for them."

 _Or they sealed everyone in before they finished..._

It was a morbid thought, but he wouldn't share it with anybody else. If they couldn't find an entrance, their entire initiation would have been at risk. Maybe Weiss could blow the doors off if need be?

"Let's spread out and check the surrounding hills. Any other entrances would have been close to the main structure."

The group split up. Sun went down by the river, Blake went around the north side of the ruins, Jaune followed Weiss over to some woods. The woods were closest to the ruins, and Weiss said a road must have run through it at some point. Jaune shamelessly followed Weiss since he didn't have anywhere else to go, and he wanted to get her alone so he could talk to her some more.

Cresting over a small hill, Jaune spied a small clearing atop a flat piece of ground. There were a few scattered boulders here and there, but it was clear of any vegetation aside from grass. If he got on top of the stones, Jaune could use the added height to survey the surrounding area better.

 _Maybe I can con Weiss into climbing up here? Go sight-seeing for a little bit. Have a friendly chat._

Pulling himself to the summit of the block, Jaune spun around to get the lay of the land. Most of it was densely packed forests with the occasional rock jutting out from the ground. There was not a single village in this area from what could be seen. However, someone had to have found this place, so civilisation was within reach.

Spinning around once again, Jaune could not see Weiss anywhere in the area. The Mage had been walking around towards the edge of the woods a few moments ago. Now how was Jaune going to talk to her if he couldn't find her?

"What are you doing," a voice rang out from behind him. Jaune froze solid as he stood upon the peak. He knew that voice, and it scared the absolute shit out of him.

"U-Um, I-I'm looking for-," Jaune stuttered trying to come up with something. Anything at this rate would be better than that. It didn't help that Weiss was peering into Jaune's soul. He could feel her eyeballs on the back of his head.

"I'm not sure..." Jaune confessed. "Thought I could see more of the area. But I don't see any hole in the ground that screams, 'This is the cave you're looking for.'" He turned around and looked down upon the Mage below him.

Weiss was glaring at him with her arms crossed. She wasn't displeased as far as he could tell. It was her normal look, or what counted as normal in the two days he had known Weiss. Her eyes weren't narrowed so... that might have been a good sign?

"You have a point," Weiss agreed. "I thought you were messing around."

"Hey, I only mess around off the clock," Jaune jested, jumping off the stone block.

Landing firmly on his feet, Jaune stood up straight, towering over his shorter counterpart. Neither managed to get another word out as what sounded like cracking erupted from beneath their feet. Jaune only managed to look down, seeing the mossy floor give way before the hole that opened up swallowed both adventurers.

Jaune was the first to go in immediately followed by Weiss. The former stared up at the sky as Weiss fell a few feet above him. Everything slowed down, taking what was only a few seconds into several minutes of falling into this breach.

The Knight hit a pool of water inside the bottom of the hole. His back slammed into the subterranean lake, taking the wind from his lungs. Jaune couldn't get another breath in as the liquid parted by his body rushed back into the empty space. All he could see was the Mage falling quickly towards him and the water coming back over his eyes.

"Ohhhhh shit," Jaune cried out as Weiss landed on top of him.

Pain radiated throughout his body as the Mage slammed into his body. His Aura took a hit from the impact. Yet, he disregarded both and grabbed onto the nearest object, pulling his head out of the water. Jaune coughed any remaining liquid from his lungs, forcing a breath through his mouth.

The fall might have killed him if he hadn't landed in the shallow pool of water. Jaune just had to lay there and let his Aura recover enough to repair any damage. Luckily his Aura levels were high, being able to sustain damage for prolonged durations of time. Constitution allowing for that one saving grace.

"Ow, my head," Weiss groaned as she looked up and into Jaune's gaze.

She had landed on Jaune pretty hard, and he took the brunt of the impact, cushioning the Mage's fall. Jaune looked up at her with an expression of pain mixed with fear for his new partner, trying to make sure she was all right. Two pairs of blue eyes entered into an impromptu staring contest, neither of them willing to budge for the moment. Weiss' brain, however, quickly caught up realising the position she was in and pushed herself off of him.

Jaune stood up and made his best effort to brush himself off. He was completely soaked from head to toe. Weiss managed to avoid most of the water since she had a knight to break her fall. However, her front side was not as fortunate, getting a nice bath.

"Aye!" Sun looked down into the pit that had just opened up. "Is anybody alive down there!" His booming voice carried throughout the cavern.

"Yeah," Jaune shouted up towards the cave entrance.

Jaune looked around the cave as Blake and Sun figured out a way down. His luck paid off again in the most painful way possible. Several doors were leading into what looked like deeper parts of the ruins. The stonework was the same if not preserved better.

"We found our entrance, you can jump down!"

Sun lept into the pit, slamming down in a manner less than subtle. The assassin followed with two almost silent graceful clicks of her heels. Blake at least had the courtesy to try staying quiet since they didn't exactly know if there were any draugr around. Sun just dove in the hole with little regard.

The four heroes stood before the several passages contemplating on where they should go. The ruins were well illuminated by dozens of torches hanging on the walls. Which was surprising since this place was supposed to be abandoned for hundreds if not thousands of years.

"I'm gonna say splitting up is not an option from now on," Sun joked looking up at the hole in the ceiling. "Don't want our princess and her knight getting lost on us, now do we?" Sun padded Jaune's shoulder and stepped out from the pond.

Jaune blushed and tried to hide his cheeks, but Weiss caught a glimpse of his flushing face. Her cheeks were slightly reddened as well, not as dark as Jaune's but Sun got a reaction out of her.

Sun and Jaune stacked upon each other in a one-column phalanx, the Rogue using his staff as a sort of spear with the rune on one end. Weiss and Blake were just behind them, Blake had an arrow nocked in her bow, and Weiss had her sword drawn and ready to cast spells.

The passage they were currently in was empty. The only thing remotely living had been a few tiny spiders in their webs. There had been a few sarcophagi sitting along the wall, but they had been opened for quite some time. The draugr must have risen at some point, or the coffins had never been used.

Another door on the far side of the room was the most accessible. This one was covered in a mass of webs. Jaune found the overall amount of cobwebs to be unsettling since he didn't particularly like spiders. But he was going to find courage and power through it. With a flick of his wrist, Sun burned the webbing and cleared a path large enough to crawl through.

The other end of the hallway opened up to reveal a larger antechamber. And a lot more webs. Jaune was pretty sure he had never seen anything like this before. Maybe when he had to clean out a barn, but this was terrifying, to say the least.

This must have been a nest for those giant spiders Blake was talking about. Why did she have to say anything about them? She probably jinxed them just by the mere mention of the giant spiders. There would definitely be some giant snakes too.

"What's the play here, Jaune?" Sun gripped his staff with both hands. He walked around casually, yet, remained tense as he should have. The faunus and Weiss could easily be injured by any fangs from a large spider. Some mega arachnids could pierce through steel.

"We get out-" Jaune froze at the sound of chittering and clicking of feet. The others also stiffened up and grew closer. Jaune had a pretty good idea of what giant spiders sounded like, and he was sure this was one.

Something the size of a large dog quickly scurried in front of the group. Blake shot an arrow at it but missed due to the darkness. The phalanx formation was all but abandoned at this point in favour of getting the fuck out.

It seemed as though the spiders were stalking them. Which is terrifying because these spiders usually don't do that. They were commonly ambush predators or set traps with their webs.

Somebody's breath was shuddering with fear. Jaune didn't bother to look because he was scared shitless himself. All he wanted to do was get to the other side of the room and then shit himself because he couldn't do it when the spider ran in front of them.

The team managed to get across the chamber and threw a door open. Nothing was on the other side, so everyone basically ran through. Sun tipped over a massive bookshelf effectively sealing their only known exit. Better than having the spiders follow them.

Jaune let out all of the air in his lungs with a deep gasp. "Let's not ever do that again!" He placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Agreed," Blake groaned as she leaned against a pillar. She looked over at Sun, and they both started laughing. Jaune couldn't help but join in as well.

Once everyone calmed down, Jaune began investigating the room they were in. It looked as though this room was a gathering area for meals. The long twenty-person table filled with ancient bowls and cups looked prepared to host a feast. The partakers of the feast were long gone, but their tableware still managed to remain.

What drew Jaune's attention the most was the large urns lining the sides of the room. The egg-shaped vessels were cracking and losing colour, once having beautiful art painted on the clay now sat decaying. Jaune whipped around as one of the urns was smashed open. Sun was using his staff to crack open the pots.

"What are you doing," Weiss yelled at Sun as he broke the rest of the urns.

"Looting the ruins. We need to grab everything we can while we have the chance." Sun began sifting through the pottery shards. Blake joined him and pulled out several gold coins and some gems; quickly putting everything into large bags. "If we don't loot this place, someone else will. The artefacts from here should be taken by us."

Jaune stepped to Weiss' side. "You did say we'd get a cut of whatever we found." Weiss huffed and walked to the other side of the room.

 _Egghhh, I think I pissed her off?_

Jaune didn't think looting ancient ruins was sacrilegious. What Sun said was true. If they didn't loot everything first, then some idiot with higher than average ambition would do the same thing. If there were powerful magical artefacts here, then they were safer in the hands of Beacon or at least a trained mage like Weiss. It was a matter of the safety of the Kingdom of Vale that powerful objects be accounted for.

Blake and Sun-filled a sack full of gold, gems, and other trinkets. They even found a few potions that were still intact enough to use. The magicka potions were handed off to Weiss while the others were divvied up between the melee combatants. Jaune hoped they were not going to have to use them.

"So where do we go now?" Jaune looked to Weiss for whatever wisdom the lady mage had to offer. He didn't know the first thing about diving into ruins like this, so it was best to let her lead from behind while he protected her.

"We should go chamber to chamber. The path should be obvious to take, but we should investigate every room. It would be best to clear the draugr, so we cannot be surrounded."

The dining hall had three entrances-two now that one had been adequately sealed. One was blocked by iron bars, and the other sat behind a closed metal door. The route became more noticeable now because they couldn't ever hope to lift the bars and there was no lever mechanism to open the gate.

"Alright if we see any draugr or anything. Sun and Blake will attack first, and I'll hang back to guard Weiss." Jaune retreated to third in the line just in front of Weiss. Sun snapped his staff in half, transforming it into nunchucks. Blake took her sword in hand.

...

There had been more draugr than anybody in the raiding party had expected. The first couple rooms had only handfuls of draugr resting in sarcophagi or wandering the halls. Those were the easy brawls, taken care of in seconds by Blake's spells or her stealth attacks.

Sun made sure to loot the rooms of all of the gold and any valuables that had not degraded past all worth. Sun had only gathered enough to fill a quarter of his sack. If they managed to fill this one, then Jaune would take on the weight. If it got bad enough, Jaune considered coming back here a second time to completely clear the treasures.

Now the group had made it into a massive hall. It must have been a room where people gathered for religious ceremonies back when this place was used. A throne sat on the far end of the room. The head priest most likely sat there attending to the parishioners who came to pray for their dead.

Before they could set to loot this room. A single draugr stepped out from an adjacent chamber. With a growl, the undead soldier summoned what could have been a small army.

Draugr were coming out from adjacent chambers clamouring for the chance to kill the intruders. Dozens had rushed out all at once in a surprise ambush. The group was caught off-guard and had been cut off from a retreat.

Sun charged in first as the vanguard. The draugr agroed to him, buying time for Jaune and Blake to clear out the stragglers. Sun felled five of the draugr in front of him before turning on the others. The next group of his victims were caught on the backswing.

"Blake!" Jaune tapped on his shield, getting her attention. "Need a lift?"

Blake nodded, knowing what Jaune had in mind. With several strides, she ran at Jaune, and the Knight threw her into the air using his shield as support. She landed on a ledge just above the battle-safe from any melee attacks.

Jaune whipped around and began hacking and slashing the undead around him. He didn't bother using his shield, preferring to dodge and parry attacks that came his way. The larger draugr, wielding war-hammers or greatswords forced Jaune to roll out of the way.

The draugr had gaps in their armour that Jaune made use of. The effect of time on the undead cause shrinkage in their overall muscle mass leaving places such as their midsection and neck open to attack. The bodies of draugr also had desiccated and were more fragile to lighter blows.

Several draugr broke off the primary fight to focus on Jaune. The Knight had already cleared a space for Weiss to do her work. Jaune just needed to maintain what he had previously claimed.

Simple enough... right?

The first draugr swung its greatsword towards Jaune. The knight quickly backed off and waited for the overswing. In two strides Jaune made up the distance and entered the Schlussel stance, stabbing the zombie in the throat.

Jaune rushed the next two draugr. They were only wielding light broadswords and would not be an issue. Jaune side-stepped to dodge a swing and decapitated both of them.

A massive blow threw Jaune to the floor. He landed on his back and quickly rolled out of the way, evading the battle-axe meant for his head. Jaune thrust his sword into the thigh of the draugr, only staggering the zombie for a moment. He threw himself off the floor and took the ox guard stance. Before he could swing the blade, an ice spike impaled the draugr.

Jaune found himself to be more than surprised as the draugr fell to its knees. A second spell finished the job and killed the zombie. He whipped around to see Weiss wielding her magic.

Weiss looked absolutely astounding as she cast her ice magic. Every movement trained to be an absolute ideal. Every time she used her rapier and struck down, an opponent was marvellous. Jaune didn't know what perfection looked like or if it could be achieved by him, but Weiss was something to envy.

Jaune fell back into position. He held a line in front of Weiss as she controlled the battlefield. Blocking attacks and thrusting back into his opponents. Every time an arrow flew at him or Weiss, Jaune caught the projectile with his shield. Arclight did the best it could to create space between him and the horde in front of the duo. It stunned the draugr for a moment or caused them to flee from the light. Jaune had effectively shut down the enemies' ability to get close to him.

He grabbed a draugr by the face and cast Arclight. The zombie's face ignited into flames and howled in pain. Jaune threw the draugr away and struck another with the pommel of his sword. Before he had a chance to catch his breath, several others lined up to attack Jaune and Weiss. The Knight twirled his blade and charged the line.

Jaune stabbed a draugr through the face. "Gah! Why are there so many?!" He tried to pull the sword out, but it became lodged within the undead's steel helm. Jaune had strayed too far from Weiss in the process going on the offensive, and he needed his silver sword to fight.

What Jaune saw nearly made his heart drop. A single draugr knocking an arrow on its bow. Its target... Weiss. The shaft unleashed at its destination.

Jaune broke into a sprint and retreated to his position. He forcefully pushed Weiss out of the way and held his shield up. Two objects hit him at full force.

Jaune felt a pain shoot through his gut. An arrow had lodged itself in his shield, but another found itself piercing the gambeson beneath his breastplate. He winced at the pain and tried to ignore it. Snapping the arrow in half, Jaune moved to keep on fighting.

...

The fight felt as though it had lasted hours. Only ending after Sun used an ability to clear the last of the draugr out. Blake had even gotten her hands dirty after she had run out of arrows and jumped down slicing draugr in half with her sword. Weiss and Jaune remained off to the side guarding their only potential escape.

"Well that was fun," Sun cheered, kicking a helmet across the room. "I thought there would be more."

Jaune laughed and felt another wave of pain shoot through his abs. He fell to his knees holding the shaft sticking out of him.

 _Aww, fuck... That hurts!_

Weiss saw how Jaune was in pain and ran to his side. "Arc, what happened?" She tried to pull his hand away to examine the source of his misery. Her voice held minor concern, but only for a moment.

"It's good," Jaune grimaced, pulling his hand off his stomach. "It didn't go that deep." The smiles on his companion's faces were snuffed out like a candle.

 _Of course, my luck decides to go out of the window when I need it the most!_

"Bullshit Jaune! What were you thinking," Sun shouted as he dropped his pack. Sorting through the bag, he found a bottle of spirits and bandages.

Jaune chuckled. "I thought that we needed to finish the fight and you guys didn't worry about me."

"Do we have anything for the pain? Because that thing needs to come out. It's most likely barbed too so pulling it out is not an option unless we cauterise the wound," Blake chimed in as she began rummaging through her own gear. Jaune didn't question the Assassin's knowledge of arrow wounds.

"Well, we have vodka-" Weiss slapped the side of Jaune's head before he could even entertain the idea.

"You _dolt_! Those spirits are meant to clean wounds-not to drink!"

[Several Hours Later]

Jaune stirred from his sleep. "Ugggh-where am I," he groaned, trying to sit up. Jaune used one of his hands to push himself from the ground. He was missing his armour and all of his clothes besides his trousers.

Jaune's lower abdomen was covered in a thick padding of bandages. He had a strange tingling sensation running through his core. Before Jaune could entirely sit up, five small smooth fingers pressed against Jaune's chest.

"Don't sit up. You need to lay down," the voice gently guided his head back to the floor. He looked over to see Weiss sitting next to him. A small fire illuminated half of her face. Her beautiful pale skin glowed in the dim light.

Jaune felt his pants tighten as Weiss' hand rested on top of the hardened muscles. He wasn't sure Weiss was enjoying this as much as he was as she pressed her hand harder into his chest. Luckily he had his lower half covered by a thick wool blanket. The thought of her feeling him up furthered the constriction in his pants.

 _Oh, boner, not now!_

Weiss' long white robes were neatly folded and set under Jaune's head. She wore a set of formfitting grey and white garments with the sleeves rolled up, exposing her blood-covered hands.

"You lost some blood, but we were able to stitch the wound after we removed the arrow," Weiss explained as she washed her hands in a small basin. "However, you passed out when your friend opened the wound to expose the barbs on the arrow." She smiled when she mentioned the last part.

 _Wait... she actually smiled for once? Or was she entertained by me passing out?_

 _Great... that must have been really embarrassing._

Jaune managed to make an ass out of himself once again in front of the Mage. The worst part about it was Jaune remembered the entire thing up until he blacked out. So his day or whatever time it was, had been going perfectly.

"Well I did my job," Jaune nervously chuckled trying to sit up again. Weiss' smile turned into a frown, and she flicked him on the bridge of his nose. Jaune was surprised by the force behind her index finger as it slammed into his beak.

"Oww," Jaune croaked. "What was that for?!" He started massaging his nose, reeling from the sharp pain.

Weiss crossed her arms, and her eyes narrowed. "You really are an idiot!" She shouted at him with more anger than Jaune had previously experienced with her (Given they had almost a total of five previous conversations, and three of them were bungled by Jaune.) This left Jaune even more confused and frustrated than when he had first met her.

"You foolishly risked your life, and you act like it's a joke," Weiss continued to reprimand Jaune. "I didn't need you to dive in front of me and get yourself wounded!"

Most people would have been grateful for somebody getting injured like that for them. It was Jaune's job to guard Weiss, but he would have taken an arrow like that for anyone. She had a point about Jaune treating it like a joke after the fact.

Hey," Jaune shouted. "If I didn't take that hit for you, Weiss! I wouldn't be the one with a hole in their stomach!" He rolled over to the side and pushed himself off the ground. Jaune took two steps and a sharp pain cut through his abdomen.

"Nnnngggh," Jaune grunted falling to the floor. A small pool of blood-soaked through the bandage and seeped out on the stonework.

If felt like Jaune had been kicked in the gut. Not as bad as when he was shot with the arrow, but it hurt like hell. This was the worst injury Jaune had received since his run-in with a vampire. Even that was a few minor cuts that required no stitches to close.

Weiss rushed over to him and helped Jaune over to the fire. "I told you not to get up! Why do you insist on being such an idiot," she scolded Jaune again as she pulled the bandage off his stomach. Her expression grew serious as she inspected the now reopened hole in Jaune's abs. Blood pumped out with every heartbeat and spilt out onto the floor.

"You opened it up again," Weiss grumbled as she pulled more bandages out from a bag. She whispered something, and a green glow appeared around her hands. Weiss pressed her hands against the wound. "This might tingle for a little while, but it should help with any discomfort." She pressed her hands into the muscle surrounding the injury, and a cooling sensation rushed through Jaune's abs.

Jaune grunted loudly and balled his fists. Pressing her hands into Jaune's stomach didn't do him any favours. The spell worked to dull the pain, but it felt like he was getting stung by bees every time he took a breath. Potions wouldn't have been able to help Jaune in this situation either. Elixirs could only be used after a fight had been ended and they could take hours to repair wounds.

Weiss quickly stitched the cut closed. Her hands expertly moved in tandem to weave the thread through the tissue. Jaune was impressed by her suturing skills. He didn't expect a mage to have talents like that. It was another thing to add to the list of things Jaune liked about her (she just needed to work on her attitude).

Weiss pressed a bandage onto the wound and urged Jaune to sit up. She wrapped a cloth around Jaune's waist and tied it off. It was tight, but the compression felt good and helped keep the soreness off Jaune's abs. Only if he had some ale to dull the pain a bit more.

The Mage pressed her hand against Jaune's forehead. "You don't have a fever, but we need to make sure your wound doesn't become infected."

Jaune felt his face flush at the touch of her hand. Her voice was comforting... it was almost like she was a different person from the one who was yelling at him earlier. Jaune liked this side of Weiss. It was _much_ more pleasant.

"And if you try getting up _again_ ," Weiss hissed and poked him in the chest. "I will cast a spell to fix you to the floor!" Jaune's face contorted into one of fear. Nevermind... she is back, and Jaune would head her threat. It's best not to piss off a mage.

"P-please don't," he stuttered, holding his hands up in a gesture of compliance. Jaune's only defence was Arclight because he had no idea where the fuck his swords went. Weiss could probably unleash whatever spell she had cooked up before Jaune had the chance to grab Ira Rubrum.

"Good," Weiss sat up and grabbed a cup. She turned into the slightly more friendly version of the Mage Jaune barely knew instead of the "Snow Demon." "I think we have an understanding." She took a sip from the goblet with a smirk showing from behind the cup. Weiss was totally enjoying this, and Jaune found it to be really attractive.

"And Arc," Weiss continued setting the cup aside. " _Thank_ _you_... for protecting me. However, it was unnecessary." She shifted and crossed her right leg over her left.

"W-what do you mean," Jaune grimaced as a sharp tingle shot through his stomach.

"Even if you didn't foolishly dive in front of me. One of my spells would have absorbed the impact and negated the damage from the arrow. See," Weiss explained as she cast another spell. The magic covered her skin a purple-ish hue. Once the spell had been cast, a miasma would occasionally radiate out from the aura surrounding her body. "This is a spell known as Dragonscale. It would have protected me from any damage for a short time."

Jaune fell back onto Weiss' robes/pillow in utter defeat.

 _Son of a BITCH!_

...

"Ah Jaune, glad to see you've awoken from your nap," Sun quipped as he dropped a sack of loot on the ground. Blake had her own bag filled halfway with gold pieces and gems.

Sun and Blake sat down next to each other across the fire from Jaune and Weiss. The Mage cooked a meal consisting of beef, vegetables and broth. Which was made feasible by the pot Jaune packed away. Even though the stew was watery, it was totally worth it after nearly six hours of hard fighting through a zombie-infested dungeon.

"I didn't see you saving any damsels in distress," Jaune retorted with his mouth half-full. Weiss' lips curled up into a snarl at Jaune's terrible manners and being called a 'damsel in distress'. Jaune, however, was oblivious to Weiss' displeasure and kept eating like a half-starved wolf. "What have you guys been up to anyways?"

"We scouted out the rest of the crypt," Blake started. She at least swallowed her food before she began speaking. "The chamber Weiss mentioned is locked behind some sort of door. It has a complex multi-stage series of traps that neither of us could solve or get past."

 _A puzzle! Damn it!_

"Could you describe the puzzle for me," Weiss chimed in. She pulled out a piece of parchment and a piece of charcoal. "It might help if you let me work on this."

Sun stroked his two-day beard. "The first puzzle is a series of floor plates with glyphs on each plate. If you get it wrong, a fireball flies out from a small Dust Crystal at the end of the hallway." He lifted his arm up showing the blackened mark from the magic. "We didn't get close enough to see the rest of the puzzle... if you couldn't tell."

The metal on Sun's arm had been burnt and partially melted, but he didn't show any signs of pain. Jaune could probably reforge the vambrace if he had the right materials even if Sun's armour wasn't exactly steel plate. From what Jaune could remember, draugr used a similar if not superior alloy for their armour. So Jaune would make sure to grab enough to make himself a set and have enough metal to spare if Sun wanted repairs done.

"We did, however, find an armoury and forge," Blake smiled and unrolled a blanket containing several old swords. "Stocked with several perfectly balanced longswords and daggers." The Assassin grabbed a dagger made from a deep blue metallic substance and spun it in her fingers.

Jaune grabbed a fifty-inch longsword from the roll. The double-edged sword was made from enchanted steel like draugr armour. There were also hints of gold and silver inlay in the guard and a black gem on the handle. The magical sword rendered Crocea Mors obsolete in comparison when it came to looks and strength. Jaune was most definitely going to keep this blade for himself.

The most intriguing part of the blade was the materials used to make it. Enchanted steel is difficult to come by most days, and only a few people have access to it. You would need to hire a mage with experience in transmutation magic to enchant a pile of whatever metal you chose. The enchanting process allowed for any tool or weapon made from the material to be much more durable and would keep an edge no matter the abuse thrust upon it. You would really have to hit something hard or have a poorly made blade to shatter any sword made from enchanted steel.

"We could get a really good price on these if we find the right buyer," Jaune divulged as he ran his hands along the fuller of another sword. The swords themselves were worth at the least, two-thousand Lien a piece. Jaune could probably talk up the price even farther since not many people are willing to go dungeon crawling for valuable swords.

"Where in Vale could we find someone to buy these," Blake inquired, grabbing a third bowl from the pot. She quickly scarfed it down along with another loaf of bread. Blake had already eaten more than everybody in the group, and she wasn't slowing down. "There are only a few people who have the coin to afford magical swords."

Jaune looked up at Blake as she ate yet another bowl of stew. Somehow that girl was able to keep her figure even with her impressive appetite. It was beyond Jaune's concern, however.

"We could try wealthy merchants around Vale. They would easily have the money for weapons like these. Or we could try the nobles," Jaune continued to explain as he finished his portion of the stew. "Anybody living in the upper districts of Vale would have the Lien or something worth trading for the swords."

"Yeah, I'll let you handle that," Sun yawned and leaned back. "You seem to know what you're doing. So, I'll leave it to you." He quickly nodded off and began snoring.

...

"So this is the puzzle," Jaune scratched the back of his head as he stared at the tunnel. Which was more like a death trap in his opinion. A two-hundred-foot-long passage containing: deadfalls, spikes, poison darts, fire traps, and swinging blades. Pretty much every painful way to die inside of an abandoned temple/sepulchre. The whole shebang! "I think you two left out a few slightly pertinent details!"

"Oh come on Jaune," Sun drawled. "Where's your sense of adventure!?" Jaune knew Sun was baiting him and would not let it get to him. His best bet was to remain silent and not feed his friend's goading.

Jaune's silence only encouraged the Rogue to continue his teasing. Sun made the 'chicken' gesture. Flapping his arms and clucking like the fowl. Blake started snickering and cupped her mouth. Weiss tried her best to hold in a laugh despite her sombre nature.

 _Fuck!_ "

Ok, but I'm not going first," Jaune gave in to Sun's taunt. He preferred not to be killed by a trap set by some guy hundreds of years ago. Jaune actually didn't even want to be here. A nice warm bed was beginning to look even better every minute he spent in this crypt. There better be a lot more gold behind the door at the end of the tunnel for this to worth Jaune's time. But Jaune's dignity and reputation were on the line, so regardless of whatever was on the other side of the door. He was going to give it his all.

"If we can get back to business," Weiss urged as she bent down in front of the glyphs. If Jaune remembered correctly, these were in Old Valean. A language Jaune could only recognise but incapable of reading. "These glyphs are laid out in a pattern. Ten different glyphs all organised in a ten by ten grid. One glyph should lead to safety."

"You got all that just from this," Jaune quizzically asked as he crouched down next to her. He traced his hand over the carving. The representation was a pictogram of a dragon breathing fire. Another relief featured a snarling wolf. The rest of the glyphs were of various animals or nature motifs.

"Yes! The College of Magic on Atlas had an entire section on the ruins of Ancient Vale! Every city or temple adopts a patron deity as a protector or figurehead for worship. Although the library was not as extensive as I would have liked," Weiss continued rambling on about the symbolic lore of the Ancient Valeans.

She mentioned a few events where human sacrifices would be used to please whatever god or gods Valeans worshipped, and how the ancient peoples were pagans that worshipped nature before the beginning of the modern era. Jaune was impressed by the amount of information she had on hand. He was the same way when it came to monsters so he couldn't judge.

Blake coughed loud enough to break Weiss' train of thought. "I am really _enjoying_ the history lesson, but we are on a schedule." Blake was actually being serious about enjoying the lesson. She wasn't trying to mock Weiss in any way.

Sun chimed into the conversation. "Weiss you did mention that cities had patron deities. Would these glyphs be what we're looking at?"

Weiss' eyes suddenly widened. "Yes," she crowed, standing up and pacing around the entrance to the chamber. "The Wolf has to be it!" She rushed over one of the walls. The relief showed a large man wearing a wolf pelt being worshipped by several cultists. "Romul the Wolf-God!" Weiss was... getting really excited about this. She seemed to actually be having fun.

Weiss then blew past Jaune and pressed her foot down onto the plate showing the wolf. A small click was heard, and no trap or world-ending event was triggered. An ear to ear smile stretched across the Mage's face as she pressed forward to the next puzzle.

"She's really enjoying this," Sun chuckled as he pushed Jaune forward. "You seem to have found yourself a fellow _intellectual_." Jaune knew what he meant. Sun was implying that Weiss could be a 'study buddy'. Jaune shamelessly agreed with Sun because he would not turn down any chance to hang out with Weiss beyond the Initiation.

Jaune blushed and tried to shrug it off as nothing. Blake giggled, and it only caused Jaune to blush harder. "Sun, I'm two steps away from beating your ass," Jaune gritted his teeth, threatening his friend. Sun started laughing harder along with Blake. It was bad enough that Jaune totally agreed with his friend and even worse because they knew even without words that Jaune did not refute the implication.

"Will you three hurry up," Weiss shouted and stomped her foot. Yep, Weiss' almost as cute as Ruby when she's angry. Weiss pouted and huffed, "We don't have all week!" Jaune hoped Weiss didn't hear any of that.

The next series of traps seemed to be pressure plates. Small triangular stones lined the floor, most likely they were triggers for any traps. The walls were covered in thick vines and vegetation that grew into the crypt. Condensation saturated the soil on the floor, leaving half of the room a muddy swamp.

Jaune took a step forward over the plates but was dragged back by Blake who nearly threw him on his ass with how hard Blake pulled.

"It's another trap you idiot," Weiss hissed at Jaune while inspecting the pressure plates.

Weiss pushed a plate down, and a dart flew across the room. She jumped and fell back from the surprise.

"Weiss, are you okay," Jaune asked as he gave her a hand up.

"Yes," Weiss sighed. "But we need a way to get across the dart trap."

"Could you use Dragonscale to shield all of us?" Jaune pulled the small dart out of the wall. It was coated in a slimy mucus.

 _Poison of some kind?_

"No, I only have enough magicka to shield myself. The rest of you need a way to protect yourselves." Weiss stepped forward to inspect the plates again.

Blake stepped up to the line. "If we run fast enough, we can make it through," she explained. "Jaune has armour. Sun and I can outrun the darts.

"Have I mentioned that I _really_ don't like this," Sun grumbled, sliding his staff onto a small leather clasp on his back.

Jaune rushed forward, first sheltering his head with his shield and arms. The small darts bounced off the metal or embedded themselves into the leather pads on his legs.

[One Hour Later]

"Holy shit," Jaune gasped for air. He had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. They finally made it all the way through that hell-hole of a trap. It took nothing short of Weiss' genius and a lot of sprinting to make it past the half dozen puzzles and traps in their way. "That was intense!"

Weiss used one of her hands to hold herself up against a column. "I don't think I've ever run that fast," Weiss panted holding her right hand over her chest. Weiss looked as though she got the worse of it. Mages were never known for their Constitution stat, leaving them open to becoming exhausted or worse, being a glass cannon.

By now, Jaune had forgotten entirely about the wound on his stomach. The potion had done its magic, and Jaune was only feeling a little sore on the lower part of his abdomen. Weiss helped him remove the bandages earlier this morning with just a little blushing on her part. When the gauze was removed, a small white line remained to show where the arrow dug into the soft tissue below Jaune's coat.

Jaune's quick recovery was assisted by a combination of potions and levels that he had gained. Jaune felt his level climb to around thirteen. Three levels from a single dungeon was a lot at one time. Jaune certainly felt more powerful as his body took to the new level. This was all done in a matter of hours and a few dozen draugr butchered by his own hands. The draugr must have been very powerful for the gain to be so high.

"Just one more door guys," Sun grinned as he tried pushing the large metal door open. The door wouldn't budge, and he bashed his shoulder into the hatch to no avail. "And it's locked... great!"

"You brute," Weiss stepped in before all hell could break loose. "There are other ways of getting a locked door open without busting it down!"

"I have to agree with Weiss," Blake reluctantly sided with the heiress. "This door should have a trigger or a way to bypass the lock mechanism." Blake began examining the door. Sun rubbed his sore shoulder vigorously to get the pain out.

Jaune looked around for... anything that looked like a lever. He honestly didn't know what would be used to hide a switch for a door. Maybe the answer was right in front of him like the entrance to that cave. Jaune was going to be especially careful, so he didn't set off another trap or fall into a giant pit again.

He walked over to a relief of a hunting scene. Hunters on horseback were chasing what seemed to be a large herbivore. Another relief showed wolves hunting a man in a field. Something was off about the sculptures.

 _The Hunters have been flipped upside down. Maybe if I turn them right side up?_ Something clicked behind the door.

"Hey, some of the locks came off the door," Blake called out as she kept poking at the door. "Jaune, keep up whatever you are doing."

 _Ok... there has to be something else I'm missing. What about the other sculpture?_

The next panel featured a pack of wolves chasing a man wearing horns. Everything seemed to be in place. Jaune guided his hands over the carvings. The granite had aged well over the years and showed no signs of degradation. Jaune felt the chiselled figures of the wolves. He pressed his hand into the carving. It sank into the wall, and another click came from behind the door.

Blake pushed to door open and unsheathed her sword. "Ok, be ready for _anything_." She pulled her hood and face mask up. Blake went in first and moulded into the darkness. It was unnerving how well she was able to disappear like that.

Jaune followed with a torch in hand. He held Ira Rubrum in his right hand in the plough guard stance. The air in the chamber tasted stale. It must have been sealed for some time with little to no airflow. If any room remained untouched, this must have been the one.

Weiss cast a spell to illuminate the room. The bright ball of light floated up towards the ceiling and gave the chamber life. Every surface of the room was covered in ornate carvings. A small brazier decorated with wolf heads sat in the centre of the room. This might have been a place where people made offerings to the dead or the patron deities.

 _Sacrifice by fire?_

"Ok, take a look around for loot and the glyphs," Jaune ordered the team as he made his way to the centre of the room. "Keep your guard up. We don't know if there are any draugr or undead hiding in the shadows." There was also a cat that could turn invisible at will. But she was playing on their team, so Jaune didn't have to worry about her.

Jaune tossed his torch into the brazier, and the flames spilt out onto the floor. The central brazier triggered a cascade effect and lit the rest of the room. The oil pans on the side of the hall gave greater detail to the reliefs and carvings on the walls. Jaune had a few ideas about what he could do with the ruins after he and his friends completed their task. Scholars would kill for the chance to explore these ruins without the draugr on their backs.

Weiss pulled out a large roll of parchment and chunks of charcoal. She laid everything out in front of a large panel covered in strange runes. Jaune knelt down next to her and traced his fingers through the hieroglyphics.

"Do you know what these mean," Jaune whispered to Weiss. The Mage lifted the paper up to the wall while Jaune held it. "I don't recognise the symbols."

"I wish I knew what these were," Weiss replied, rubbing the chalk over the panel. "The College didn't have any information about these. I think it might be a dialect of Old Valean? But it has elements of the Vacuoun Empire's language back when it was still around. I can read both sets of hieroglyphs, but these are a new language."

"Vacuo was an empire," Jaune asked as he more closely examined the runes.

"Yes," Weiss answered his question. "Vacuo was once powerful enough to influence Vale and even rivalled the empire on Mistral for hundreds of years. There are many theories on why it collapsed, but most of them are just rumour and conjecture."

From what Jaune heard, the Mistrali Empire has been around since... well forever. The exact founding of the empire was lost to time, but records stretching back over a thousand years. They managed to extend their lands to cover and dominate the entire continent of Anima. Rumours told Jaune, the nobility had planned to expand to Sanus or the surrounding subcontinents.

"The Old Valeans might have had a Vacuoun artist with them," Jaune began as Weiss finished up the panel. "It would explain the influence of the language."

Weiss seemed generally surprised by Jaune's comprehension on the matter. Sun was correct when he mentioned that Weiss was a fellow intellectual. Even though their fields of study differed; they were really enjoying digging through ancient ruins and discussing history.

Weiss took a second to think. "Hmmm... that would be an accurate assumption," she said, backing up his idea. "They could also be from a group of Vacuoun settlers who integrated into the general population of Old Vale."

"These could be religious texts or possibly a series of enchantments as well," Jaune proposed the idea out of curiosity wondering what Weiss would say. So far, the first real conversation that didn't end up with her yelling at him was going quite well. Jaune was going to milk this for all that it was worth.

"What do you know about runesmithing," Weiss replied, pulling out another parchment. She plastered it onto the panel they just rubbed and began tracing the charcoal over it.

"My father taught me a little about how to do it," Jaune began explaining. "But I never got into it because of how expensive runes were to find. And nobody would bother selling enchantments like that to a kid."

He also never had any samples of a rune he could infuse into a sword. Some enchantments could run upwards to several thousand Lien based on their effect. Making them was much cheaper, but you needed a glyph to carve onto a stone that was infused with naturally occurring magic. Most people were never willing to sell drawings of their glyphs or the stones themselves. It allowed some to curb the market on enchanting practices and for local monopolies to spring up. Rumours had some enchanters growing to around three hundred or so levels by the end of their lives; usually through constant experimentation with different glyphs and combinations of runes. Mages could also reach the same level easily if they extended their lifespan using magic.

If Jaune could find a reliable source of runestones and glyphs; he could enchant his own armour and weapons. He would also be able to set up a stable business catering to whoever needed enchantments. Lords would pay a blood price just to have someone enchant their army's weapons. Any kingdom with a resident group of mages and other magic-wielding persons would be able to develop a solid foothold in their lands. Magic in any form rendered numbers obsolete. A small band of a half-dozen mages could wipe out an entire battalion of soldiers. Imagine two dozen mages guarded by a group of infantrymen laying siege to a moderately sized city.

Weiss was going to speak but was cut off by Sun.

"Yo, Jaune! We found the treasure room! You might want to come check this out!" Whatever it was had to be extremely important for Jaune to be disturbed. Jaune was debating between ignoring Sun and continue talking to Weiss or to go check out whatever he found.

"You think you'll be alright without me," Jaune said, nervously chuckling. He didn't want to end the conversation there. Hopefully, she would still be cordial with him in the future. But the treasure room sounded more urgent than working on a rubbing.

"Fine," Weiss grunted and gave him what he considered a 'death stare.' "I can finish up by myself." Jaune felt more disappointed than she did ending their conversation there.

Jaune jogged down an antechamber to where Sun was yelling from. Blake was hanging out in a small parlour just outside of the treasure room. The Assassin was cleaning her new daggers and mending her arrows. Blake was surprisingly intimidating just sitting there minding her own business. No wonder why Weiss reacted the way she did when Blake mentioned she was an assassin.

The treasure room was not as impressive as he had hoped. Jaune expected piles of gold and jewels laying all over the floor. There were some precious metals, but not the millions of gold pieces Jaune imagined. There might have been several hundred Lien worths of gold laying on the floor. Double that with the gems. They found more gold on the draugr outside of the main temple than in the treasure room itself.

"So what did you call me down here for," Jaune started, examining a ruby the size of a mandarin.

He pocketed the gem and would send it back to his family along with a large portion of the gold he picked up. Jaune would make sure to put the rest of what he would send his family into a bank. It would be best not to send all of the gold at one time lest risk the chance of it being lost during transit.

"I noticed you lack a set of heavy armour," Sun pulled out a large set of heavy plate. It was far too large for Jaune to wear, but he could melt it down and reuse the metal. Ruby would probably be ecstatic if Jaune brought her in on his new project. "I spotted this set and thought you could use it."

Jaune picked up the breastplate and examined the metal. It was enchanted steel like the sword he found, but there was something else mixed in.

"Thanks," Jaune said, looking down at the pile of loot along with the armour and weapons the team had salvaged from the ruins. "But... I think we need to hire a horse and wagon." Sun looked down at the mound of loot and grimaced. There were a few hundred pounds of gold in this room alone and the hundred pounds of loot they brought with them only added onto the weight.

"Aww shit," Sun cursed realising the amount of work they set themselves up for. At least the gold was going to have a respectable amount of work put in for it.

...

Jaune threw the last bag of loot through the portal. Sun and Blake had to run and grab another three sacks to store the ridiculous amount of coins they found. Jaune scavenged a few sets of armour off the draugr and brought them with. That metal would not be wasted sitting inside a dark and damp dungeon.

Weiss collapsed onto the floor from pure exhaustion. Sun and Jaune couldn't carry all of the loot and needed help from the Mage and Blake. The Assassin was perfectly fine, but Jaune was pretty sure Weiss was not built for manual labour. No wonder why she brought Jaune along for the Task.

"Sorry Weiss," Jaune chuckled as he pulled a coin-filled bag off her. He felt bad for the mage, but he did all of the heavy lifting for her during the trip. Even though Weiss was a _princess_ , she needed to work for her gold too. It might help her strength stat as well.

Ozpin, who had been sitting off to the side for... who knows how long walked over with his cane, wearing a grin. He probably found Weiss' predicament to be just as funny as Jaune did. Goodwitch was also watching the group with a stoic face writing down something in a ledger.

"I'm glad to see the four of you have returned," Ozpin began in a cryptic, but pleasant tone. He gestured to the bags and several staff members helped handle the loot. "Mr Arc, and Lady Schnee, your group was the first to return and... with a substantial amount of gold as well. Congratulations." And he knew Jaune's name... not creepy at all.

Sun nearly decked one of the servants when he put his hands on a bag. "Where are you guys taking my gold," he growled as he lifted the servant off the floor. Jaune was afraid Sun might tear the guy in half.

"Beacon Academy has a bank where you can store your earnings," Ozpin began, walking over to Sun. The boy dropped the servant as the older man approached. "My men will make sure it gets there unharmed, and they will begin exchanging the coin to Lien."

 _A bank... Well, that takes care of one of my short-term goals._

He would send small amounts to his parents at a time. Jaune would also try to spoil his sisters every once in a while too. They didn't need the extra money, but it could help expand his parent's shop and even send his sisters to a proper school.

"Professor Goodwitch will also take the rubbings from the crypt assuming you completed the objective," Ozpin held his hand out to Weiss. The Mage handed over one of the two rubbings she had made, keeping the copy for herself.

Ozpin examined the scroll with Goodwitch. A hushed conversation followed as they read the copy. Goodwitch rolled the scroll up and left Ozpin with the students.

 _What are they up to?_

"The four of you have fulfilled the requirements to attend Beacon Academy," Ozpin proclaimed with a smile, turning to face Jaune. "At the end of the week, we shall welcome you and your fellow peers to my academy. For now, you may rest in the communal dorms and go about your _business_ in Vale!"

[Several Days Later]

The students who succeeded in completing their Tasks all gathered in the great hall. Jaune estimated about five-hundred had been there at the beginning of Initiation, and now it was whittled down to about half of that number. Some students apparently went through the portals and immediately quit the Initiation on the first day. Others were not so lucky and came back defeated having failed to fulfil their objectives or were killed in the line of duty.

What mattered was Jaune got into Beacon Academy and made it through Initiation. Despite his lack of combat experience and not having a genuine instructor to teach him how to fight. Jaune faced the odds and became more powerful and a lot richer in the process. Things were looking up for him now he had established himself in Vale. He wouldn't tell his parents he was going to Beacon. Merely telling them, he was in Vale would have been enough to give them peace.

Over the past week, the residential bank at Beacon counted all of the money Jaune's band had gathered. They found at least twenty thousand Lien in coin along with precious stones and artefacts. The jewellery and enchanted items were saved by the group members for their own use as they would be more valuable in their hands versus some noble. Jaune decided the gold should be split evenly given the fact everyone worked for it. Weiss declined her share of the enchanted items while Blake took her cut of the swords and daggers... a beautiful bow as well. Jaune what was left with a few longswords that he planned to sell eventually.

He also needed to find someone who could discern the enchantment on the necklaces he found. Another incidence of Jaune's skill in magic being lacklustre. Maybe Weiss could help out? If Jaune could find her since he hasn't seen her in days despite actively looking for her. Sun and Blake were nowhere to be found either, so Jaune was left alone to his own devices for the week. He never realised how boring it was by himself for an extended period. Usually, he had some sort of farm work to do, or one of his sisters would pester him to help with their chores.

"JAUNE," a small voice cheered from behind him. Jaune felt two arms wrap around his neck from behind, and the little girl's chest rubbed against his back.

"Hey Ruby," Jaune wheezed as Ruby's arms were choking him. The girl had a strong grip even for how small she was. "I'm guessing you guys completed your Task?" Jaune's face started to turn red as Ruby clung to him.

Pyrrha and Yang were also with the Reaper. They didn't look too hot. Not in appearance (that could never be doubted) just in condition. Pyrrha's hair was all frizzy and dirty while Yang looked like a mess.

Yang pulled Ruby off of Jaune and walked around to the front of him. "Yeah, it was boring though," Yang drawled, sounding completely unenthused by how her week was going. "We got sent to a swamp to gather mushrooms! No monsters, no magic-no nothing! Just leg deep mud and bugs!" Jaune looked down to see all three of the girl's legs caked in a thick layer of dirt.

 _Damn, that must have been rough! The only problem I think we had would have been the cave. And the fucking spiders!_

"What did your group do," Yang asked, taking a step closer to Jaune. "We know you _partnered_ up with Weiss." Yang seemed to be hinting at something going on between him and Weiss. Not that there was anything beyond a basic platonic acquaintance.

"We delved into a crypt filled with zombies and giant spiders... the usual," Jaune explained, doing his best to sound completely nonchalant about the entire thing. "I only got shot in the stomach with an arrow. Nothing _too_ terrible." Compared to a little bit of mud, an arrow hardly seemed to be a fair comparison.

The colour seemed to disappear from Yang's face for a moment. "Are your abs ok," Yang feigned concern about his health. Ruby blushed when Yang pulled up Jaune's shirt to show the new scar. Pyrrha turned away as her face turned a similar colour as her hair.

"I'm fine Yang," Jaune deflected, face flushing again and took his shirt back. "And yes, I did team up with Weiss. We actually bonded during our mission."

 _Now I just need to find her so we can continue our conversation._

"Thank Ruby for that," Yang whispered to Jaune. "She chewed Weiss out for being a bitch."

 _Well, whatever she did obviously worked. I need to find a way to thank her._

The hall grew silent as Ozpin rose to the pedestal. "If you are listening to this speech today. You have been officially admitted to Beacon Academy." Several students cheered and were quickly silenced by a glare from Goodwitch. "Each and every one of you was given a Task to complete, and you rose to the challenge. From now on, all of you will dedicate your lives to protecting the people of Remnant. There will be many more trials you will face, and I expect nothing less than your absolute attention. What you will learn at Beacon Academy will allow you to overcome any and all obstacles you may face. What you do with your time here will determine your path in life. Some of you may find yourselves protecting his Majesty of Vale. Others may return to their homes and work to build a life for your families. A few of you might become a force of nature. One that can lay waste to entire armies with a single spell." Ozpin paused to let that sink in. "Among you, there may be one person with the potential to change the world. Regardless of who you become. I am proud of all of you!" Ozpin stepped down to let Goodwitch have the stand.

"Upon your admittance to Beacon Academy, each of you will swear allegiance to Vale. Any prior loyalties to the regional lords of Remnant have been declared null. In the event the Kingdom comes under attack, each of you will be called to serve various roles in defence of Vale and its holdings. However, you are not to participate in any belligerency or squabbles between the Kingdoms. Matters of self-defence are to be left up to your discretion." Goodwitch stepped down to let Ozpin speak again.

Luckily Jaune didn't have any loyalties to any lord. Bar was more of an open theatre for people to go about as they wished. The Count would hear the people's misgivings about a law that had been passed, and he would seek to compromise where possible. All while governing the most prosperous town on the frontier.

"Thank you, Professor Goodwitch." Ozpin nodded to the sorceress. "Now, you will have the weekend to rest and recover as a reward for your efforts. Professor Goodwitch and Dr Oobleck will direct you to the communal dorms. There are two separate dorms that you will be assigned to based on your gender. If any of the staff find you in a place not designated to your specific gender. You will be handed over to Professor Goodwitch, and she will _decide_ what to do with you." Jaune grimaced at the thought. The woman was scary enough, just having her stare at you. "Next week, we will discuss everything you need to know about attending Beacon Academy during orientation."

* * *

 **With my take on the RPG RWBY fics. I didn't drone on about how each and every one of the abilities worked in battle or in conversation. I would end up doubling the length of what I already have written if I did that(I would shoot myself in the foot). So just assume everything is working in the background. You will see over time how Jaune improves with fighting and his overall skills. That's how I want to present the statistics for this fic.**

 **Level Thirteen**

 **Strength 26 (+6)**

 **Agility 13 (+1)**

 **Defence 20 (+2)**

 **Perception 24 (+2)**

 **Constitution 29 (+4)**

 **Intelligence 33 (+3)**

 **Charisma 17 (+1)**

 **Willpower 12 (+2)**

 **As you can see I have adjusted the stats to fit Jaune's new level. He gained twenty-one attribute points that were placed in his specialities. Every ten levels the point gain will grow higher and higher (No explanation for why. I just wanted it like that.) Soon we may be able to see what Jaune's next ability is when he reaches level fifteen (I totally have it somewhere in the back of my head.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So it's currently 6:35 in the morning as I am working on this. I have not slept in around forty-eight hours once again. I also binge watched One Punch man over the last five hours. So my day has actually gone quite well.**

 **I had planned on getting this chapter out of Friday but life happened and I was saddled with a shit-ton of college stuff I needed to work on. I may have also started playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance once again, but we won't talk about that. (I may or may not have almost broken a controller)**

 **So this chapter is mainly the beginning of classes for Jaune and company. We get two fight scenes for the price of one chapter. I also go into the specifics of something Jaune has little understanding of and something that Jaune really doesn't like. It's a really big info dump!**

 **So enjoy!**

* * *

 **Edit note (12/27/19): Not much changed here. I only fixed some grammar errors. I also made some alterations to names of characters for news ideas I had. Made the chapter flow better.**

* * *

Jaune groaned as a stream of hot water cascaded down his back. He was taking a shower inside of the male communal dorms and loving every minute of it. Jaune was allowed to have his first shower, ever, after he completed his Task with Weiss and couldn't understand why it felt so good. Jaune only knew it felt better than anything he had ever experienced.

Jaune was confident he could never go back to his old life after one week at Beacon Academy. They had everything here while Bar was a small densely packed village with no running water. Jaune acknowledged it was probably some sort of magic or contraption pumping the water, but that was beyond his concern at the moment.

Bathing in his frontier homeland was usually a process of dumping boiling water into a wooden basin or a copper tub.

Unfortunately, in Jaune's household, ten people would have to share the bath between them. So properly washing was a bit of a rarity on an average day. The Lord of Bar was working on getting a public bath built, but he did not have the coffers for such a project. Regardless of the absence of public baths, many people bathed in the nearby streams or the river that flowed through the centre of town. Jaune would swim in the channel and concluded he was at least clean. It was better than smelling like horse manure, but everything in Bar smelled like it so it probably wouldn't phase anybody. Since Vale did not stink of shit and Jaune could properly bath now, he took every opportunity to clean himself.

Once Jaune was done experiencing Nirvana, he stepped out and put on his school uniform. The simple garbs were much like Weiss' mage robes but not as exquisite and lacking the enchantments a mage could afford. They were formfitting and comfortable-maybe a little tight on Jaune, but he could break them in through washing or use. Jaune wasn't given any shoes to wear with the uniform, so he just donned his riding boots.

Today was the first day of classes and the orientation for the new students. Jaune wanted to be up and ready to meet the other students and scope out the scenery. He heard about some of the courses they offered here and was thoroughly impressed. Everything from advanced magical theory to warfare and strategical battle formations. Jaune was sure he would be focusing on the physical side of things since his hang-ups whenever it came to magic. If Jaune could learn a few spells from a proper mage, he would have no complaints.

Jaune also needed to find someone to decipher the enchantments on his jewellery and one of the swords he found. He could sense the presence of a magical bond to the gear but could not see what specific enchantment was on the item. If he could find Weiss or another mage among the students, Jaune could get them to tell him what was on it. However, mages were surprisingly rare at the academy. Besides the teachers of whom, many were mages; there were maybe a half-dozen true sorcerers among the two hundred or so students. Perhaps he could find some way to con Weiss into helping him?

...

He met up with Yang and Pyrrha (Ruby was off doing something else), and they went to the orientation held in the main hall. Everything important seemed to be centred around that hall. It was probably because the building was the equivalent of a town square for the academy.

Yang, Jaune, and Ruby became fast friends over the weekend. The sisters introduced him to the pair who gave them a Task, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. They were 'friends,' at least from what Jaune was told. The couple fed him the line saying they were not 'together-together' or whatever that meant. Jaune was going to roll with it and not pay any mind to their status.

"Ugh, my head hurts," Yang groaned as she held her head in her hands. Jaune chuckled to himself as the Brawler pressed her head against the cold stone. Jaune would have suggested Yang stay in bed, but she was probably more than tough enough to make it through this alive.

Pyrrha babied the blonde who was reduced to merely existing after the pub crawl the group had this weekend. Blake, Sun, Nora, and Ren joined as well, and Jaune spent some of his hard-earned Lien buying drinks for his friends and himself. Jaune came out with a minor headache the next day, but Yang overdid it and outdrank everyone despite her thorough intoxication a few rounds in. She even challenged Jaune to a drinking contest where the two blondes downed almost an entire bottle of good whiskey. Now Yang was paying for taking advantage of Jaune's generosity.

"Yang," Jaune began teasing of his blonde companion. "You could admit that you're a lightweight who can't hold her liquor, and I'll tell you how to cure it." Jaune shot her a quick smile as her face brightened up with the knowledge of whatever his miracle cure was.

"Yang Xiao Long is not a lightweight," Yang growled, lifting Jaune into the air by his collar. Pyrrha giggled at her denial but was silenced by Yang's red-eyed death stare.

"I did warn you not to drink too much, Yang," Pyrrha chimed in with a half-suppressed laugh. "Although you flirted with Jaune more as the night went on." The colour visibly drained from Jaune's face as Yang's flushed with colour. Jaune might have forgotten about that part since he was pretty tossed himself. Otherwise, he would have made sure to remember the beautiful blonde flirting with him.

"I cannot be held accountable for my actions when I'm drunk," Yang deflected her friend's accusation. Jaune didn't buy it, but he just as drunk that night, so he left the possibility open.

The friendly banter was going to continue but was interrupted as Professor Ozpin got in the way. Several other teachers lined up behind him and stared at the new students, getting a feel for the batch. A stern glare from Goodwitch was enough to silence the rest of the students.

"Welcome," Professor Ozpin opened with a warm greeting. "Today will be your orientation to Beacon Academy and the first day of class for the first-year students. You should have received your class schedules when you arrived in the main hall. Now we will introduce our faculty and the people who will be striving to ensure your survival for the next four years."

Jaune hadn't opened his schedule, yet since Yang ambushed him when he arrived. He was actually curious as to what classes he was going to get. Jaune had to do a shit ton of paperwork outlining his abilities and powers after finishing diving into a crypt. He just left out the fact he is self-taught when it comes to fighting. So they most likely assigned him classes based on his strengths and what he already knew. There were required classes such as monster studies and Goodwitch's combat class.

Ozpin continued on with his speech. "My name is Professor Ozpin. While I am the headmaster at this academy, I do teach classes along with my duties in the royal court. Professor Goodwitch and I teach Magical Theoretics. I handle the theoretical side of magic while Professor Goodwitch deals with the practice of magic. Those of you who show an advanced understanding of magic will be personally instructed by two of the foremost experts on modern Magical Theory."

Ozpin stepped to the side for Goodwitch to take the stand. "My name is Professor Goodwitch; I am the combat instructor for the first-year students. Among my other duties here at the academy, I will also be assisting the kingdom and the students when dealing with prominent threats to the stability of the region. In your combat class, I will be teaching you everything that is needed to ensure your survival in a battle." There was a short exchange of words between the crowd before Goodwitch continued. "As Professor Ozpin stated, I am one of the foremost experts in the practice of magic. Having studied at the Atlesian College of Magic and under Professor Ozpin in Vale."

A large man stepped up to the front of the stage. He wore a bright grey-steel breastplate over a red doublet. Jaune was sure the plate was to keep the man's gut from spilling out and not for defence in any way. He looked like an old-style knight or a chevalier. He was old enough to be a leftover from that period. Back when knights were chivalrous and not a group of sycophants vying for favour.

"My name is Profesor Port. I am the head of monster studies at this academy. I will be lecturing each of you on the various species of monsters in our world. Professor Goodwitch will be assisting my class during demonstrations, and I will be aiding her with battle strategies during combat class."

Jaune looked over to Yang and noticed her leaning against Pyrrha half asleep. The Spartan didn't seem to mind, or she just did not see the bombshell sleeping on her. Jaune kind of wished he could sleep like that. He could have used another hour or two to catch up. But he did not want to slump over and get caught.

The last of the faculty members stepped to the front of the stage. "I am Doctor Oobleck," he quickly blurted out in a manner too swift for Jaune to catch. "I chair the alchemical studies department. My colleague Professor Peach could not be here today, so I shall introduce her as well." Jaune tried to his best to pay attention and shook his head to wake himself. "I give lectures on the principles of alchemy and history as well, since my doctorate is in the archaeological field. Professor Peach specialises in herbalism and chemistry. Those of you who are interested in medicine should apply to both of our classes."

Once the fast-spoken man was finished with his introduction, Professor Ozpin took control of the crowd. "Now that we have finished introductions for the chairs of our departments. You should all begin heading to your classes. The second-year students will be assisting you if you have any questions. For now, I will allow Professor Goodwitch to take over."

"Each of you has been granted permission to stay in the communal dorms for free for the next two weeks. From there on, you will have to pay for the right to stay on campus. Some of you who are natives to Vale can reside in their own homes, but the rest of you can rent or purchase lodgings on the school grounds or in the city."

The Sorceress began saying something else, but Jaune stopped paying attention. He opened up his schedule to take a peak. He had a Combat Class, Alchemical Studies, Monster Studies, Basic Battle Strategy, and the last one intrigued Jaune the most... Advanced Magical Theory. Jaune wasn't a magic user, so he had no idea why they put him in this class. Arclight might have been a form of magic, but he couldn't feel his magicka reserves or use any other kind of magic.

...

Jaune was basically dragged into his first-class by Yang. Ruby found the two just before they could get into the room. Both of the girls were elated and were getting ready to burst if Jaune moved any slower. Pyrrha just followed along having a conversation with Blake. Several other students were mixed in with the group and were shooting Jaune glances as he was being manhandled by the blonde berserker.

Sun was sitting in the lecture hall with his feet kicked up on the table. He had the entire front row of the classroom locked down and reserved for Jaune's group. Blake was the first to sit down right next to him, and Jaune sat next to the two. Yang sat down next to the Knight, and Ruby was on the other side of her. The Reaper was chatting with Pyrrha about something Jaune couldn't hear. Yang was teasing Jaune about something, but he didn't pay attention to her.

 _So this is what school is like. Not as exciting as I thought it would be._

Jaune's first-class for today was Monster Studies. The classroom was packed with around a hundred students waiting for Port to arrive. There was an especially rowdy group of students a few rows above him. Another knight boasting to a group of swordsmen about one of his trysts. Jaune found it to be annoying, but he did his best not to pay attention.

Professor Port entered the room and loudly coughed. The students quickly sat up straight, and the asshats in the back stopped talking. "Monsters, wraiths, creatures of the night. The beasts of Remnant have many names. However, I merely refer to them as prey." Port gave a hurrah, and Jaune visibly cringed. He suddenly remembered that knights were prone to boasting-usually in the most cringe-worthy way possible. "And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in this otherwise treacherous world. That's where we come in. Each of you will be trained to defend our nations from the beasts that prowl in the darkness. Whether you are a vampire hunter or a _beautiful_ warrior." Port gave a wink towards Yang and continued pacing. Jaune mimicked a throwing up gesture as Yang's face turned bright red. "By the time you graduate from my class. You will be able to handle any monster with ease." He waltzed over to the centre of the stage. "Today, however, we shall begin our first lesson on the denizens of the shadows... _vampires_ ," Port announced with a tinge of dramatism. Jaune swore that old man would make a killing in the theatre if he weren't a knight.

Port opened a thick book and flipped the pages, settling halfway through the tome. "Remnant is home to many species of these nocturnal predators. They range from the bestial catars to the high vampires. It is unknown how long vampires have inhabited our world. The oldest records date back to the founding of the Mistrali Empire and several more legends shared by oral tradition from before. According to the old lore, vampirism was brought upon humans and faunus from a single progenitor. The myth states that this man was bitten by a mare and subsequently turned into the first high vampire. And since vampirism in humans acts like any other disease. There are... mutations," Port finished the thought as an exchange of words spread throughout the hall.

"Various strains of the disease have appeared all across the world. Some offer greater strengths with minimal weakness', others may make you immune to silver, and the carrier may not have to feed. From what we understand with every new vampire created, the affliction will change. While not drastically, but enough to make every vampire unique and some of the older monstrosities, the masters, have grown more powerful than even Professor Ozpin." Many of the students were disturbed by the thought. "Such cases are rare of course, we estimate there to be less than ten thousand humanoid vampires on Remnant. And the number of master vampires to be under a dozen."

 _Well, that's a comforting thought._

The brood Jaune managed to stumble across held maybe two dozen vampires, most of the blooded variety (vampires that have fed) and the alpha. Of course, Jaune wasn't suicidal (some might disagree with him) so he only took a peak and fled to a safe distance. Running into the fledgeling during his retreat.

"You should not dread a run-in with a vampire, however. Many afflicted merely keep to themselves and try to live out their lives in peace. The vampires you should be concerned about are those few who have become corrupted by their need to drink blood. From what we understand, vampires do not have to necessarily ingest blood. Their bodies can function normally without it, but it is an addiction everyone has to suffer from much like a drug." Port flipped a few pages back.

"Returning to the research behind the disease itself, we know that it is spread through blood on blood contact. A bite might not turn you into one unless there is an exchange of the stolen bodily fluid. You will know immediately if you have contracted vampirism. From that point on you should make your way to the nearest apothecary if possible and try to rid yourself of the pestilence. However, if you are unable to cure yourself or you desire to turn into a vampire. The poor soul will have less than a week before you will die and come back as a fledgeling." Jaune noticed Yang shifted and rubbed her arms. Some of the others in his row were visibly unsettled by how vampirism affected the body. "The immediate symptom is feeling like your blood is on fire. This will dull throughout the course your affliction, but you will be in great pain. Then you will feel an insatiable thirst that cannot be quenched. Your mind will be subconsciously be drawn to blood, and it will seem as though you have no other choice but to drink it. Finally, a sensitivity and weakness to sunlight whenever you step outdoors during the day. And on the last day, you will die and reawaken as a vampire." Port paced back and forth a few times to let this settle in. "The only way to reverse the process comes before your first feeding as a fledgeling. Once you feed, there is no helping you from then on. You will become a fully blooded vampire and a dire threat to anyone around you. After turning, you will notice there are several changes to your body. You will find that you may smell someone's blood from the other side of the room, that you can hear a conversation outside the normal range for a human or faunus, and you will receive greater physical strengths. Most notably, stronger abilities related to your vampiric blood, including physical immortality."

Jaune made sure to write everything down. Greater abilities would have no doubt explained the reasoning behind someone willingly contracting vampirism. Jaune knew that vampires were already weak to sunlight, and he fought the fledgeling during the day. Arclight came right after he killed the vampire and gained two levels from it. He knew that the ability worked on the draugr, but he wanted to know how well it worked on vampires.

"All vampires have abilities, similar to heroes such as yourselves. You may encounter a vampire that can turn into a mist or a vampire that can summon bats. The variety in abilities is similar to normal folk as well. However, many of these powers can be countered using silver or magic targeted towards the undead for humanoid vampires." Port checked his watch and noticed the time. "However, when combatting vampires, you should stick to tried and true methods. Using garlic or religious artefacts will confuse the creature for a moment before it tears your throat out. None of those mythical repellents works on vampires and should merely be left for old wise women to spout to a village idiot. If you are given a contract to investigate murders related to vampires, you should expect the village only sent a missive after a peasant tried to stake one through the heart. It should be left to the professionals such ourselves!"

He gave another boasting shout causing the class to cringe again. Jaune thought it was to try lightening the mood after Port described what was possibly the scariest thing anybody here has heard of. It looked as though he had already lost most of the class except for the front row. Jaune tried his best to pay attention out of respect given he already knew this stuff.

"Slaying vampires requires a certain degree of character many simply lack," Port bluntly stated to the entire class. Jaune had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it. "And to reiterate another point, vampires are powerful in their own right, and any who wish to do battle with one should not take it lightly." Port smiled and turned to the class. "Who among you thinks they have the character needed to slay a vampire?!" Half the class threw their hands up, but Jaune kept his down. He just remained casual and leaned back in his chair.

Then Port pointed at him. "All of you are eager to kill vampires. That will get you killed," Port chastised those who raised their hands. "This young man has what it takes! What is your name?" Jaune screamed inside his head.

"Jaune Arc," he answered with a sigh. A few students started talking about him in hushed whispers.

"Your reputation precedes you, Mr Arc. Your father was a vampire slayer of some acclaim, during the peak of his career. I've heard whispers about his only son assisting with the destruction of a vampire's brood." More hushed whispers were exchanged between the crowd behind him. Jaune kind of expected something like this to happen eventually. It was a repeat of the frenzy he created in Bar, following in his father's footsteps. "Today, you shall do battle with a vampiress."

...

Jaune tossed his uniform into his locker and put on his armour. He realised how bad his jerkin smelled after not having it for the better part of a week. His swords were perfectly fine, but everything else smelled like a thousand hunts. Sweat, monster blood, and horse. The perfect combination.

He also made sure to grab a small sack of silver dust. Jaune took these shavings with him after he made his silver sword and had no reason to use it yet. But given vampires could disappear into a mist, silver dust would make the perfect weapon to disable their abilities. And given he never fought an actual vampire before but a person halfway through becoming one. Jaune wasn't going to take risks with something much more powerful than himself.

 _Swords haven't dulled since I last sharpened them but will need to work on them soon. Armour still needs repairing... damn I'm getting lazy._

Jaune chastised himself at the horrid condition of his armour. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dirt, blood, and pieces of whatever came off the draugr. Luckily Jaune had the resources to build himself a new set of armour. It would be his next step before going on another mission.

 _Maybe Ruby would want to help me?_

...

Port was wrapping up a retelling of one of his past exploits. Jaune looked over to see half of his friends, either sleeping or half-asleep. He was pretty sure that he was the only who liked this class. Port was at least somewhat funny because of how cringe-worthy he was, but he did make a few good jokes.

"Now that Mr Arc has returned," Port began, stepping off to the side. "I shall tell you of a specific type of vampire. The Evanidus Vampiris or better known as the Mare. This strain of vampirism is only known to affect females, but it can infect men with a different strain. We are unsure of why this happens, and so far, we have made little progress in our understanding of mares." Port walked over to a cloth-covered cage that Jaune totally did not see there before he left. "The Mare inside of this cage was found in a stonemason's village eating chickens. It was determined this creature had turned into a feral vampire. Typically we would have this vampire killed immediately, but the contract holder contacted me and brought the beast here. Feral vampires or 'Feral's' as we usually call them are vampires that have lost their minds. They have become obsessed with the desire to feast on blood, and it has overtaken their rational thought. This Mare hasn't fed in three days." Port signalled Goodwitch, and she cast a spell creating a ward in front of the other students. "Good luck."

"Wait," Jaune shouted. "How am I supposed to fight this?"

"Improvise Mr Arc," Port curtly replied, sitting down in a chair.

The door of the cage fell off, and a light growl emanated from inside of the cage. Jaune stepped back and unsheathed Ira Rubrum. He expected the Mare to rush and try going for his throat. Two key details to know were the duration without feeding and the vampire's disposition to go for the throat. Jaune realised he needed to buy potions to counter creatures that fed on blood.

 _At least today won't be as boring as I thought it would be._

The Mare took on the form of a white mist Jaune could barely see and circled around him. Jaune stepped in sync with the vampire keeping his sword in the ox guard stance. His first move would have to be something to bring the Mare back into a physical form that Jaune could track.

"You got this Jaune!"

"Please don't die!"

Several students cheered for Jaune throwing off his concentration. The Mare made a move and attacked him as a mist, throwing Jaune across the room. Jaune's body made a dent in the wall, and he fell to the floor. The Mare giggled and stood above him.

"After I kill you, I'm going to kill the pig that locked me in here," the Mare hissed at Jaune and picked him up again. She threw Jaune onto Port's desk, breaking the wood in half.

 _That hurt..._

Jaune laid on his back, sword still in hand. He could see the mist approaching and Jaune cast Arclight to stun the vampire. The fog dispersed, and the redheaded figure stood there, screaming as though boiling water was thrown on it. Jaune capitalised on the opportunity and stood up.

Jaune tried swinging from the top, but his sword was batted away. The longsword flew from Jaune's hands and embedded itself into the wooden desk in front of Pyrrha. The Mare grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Squeezing down hard enough to constrict Jaune's airways.

"That fucking hurt," she screamed, throwing Jaune onto the floor. The vampire tried to pounce on Jaune from behind. Jaune was quick to roll over and kicked the Mare in the face with his boot. It stunned the Mare long enough for Jaune to grab the sack of silver dust on his belt.

Taking a handful of silver, Jaune swiped his hand in front of the Mare's face. This caused a reaction similar to a person having an asthma attack. The Mare began coughing and grasped at her throat. Jaune wiped the blood from his lip and grabbed his sword.

Jaune took the tail guard stance and swiped upward along the inside of the vampire's leg. Blood spilt onto the floor as Jaune made contact with an artery and then followed up by a downwards diagonal cut from the ox guard.

Jaune was now winning the fight. His first battle with a real vampire! He was getting cocky and kicked the monster in the chest, knocking it to the floor. His lips curled into a smile as he held the blade downwards getting ready to thrust the sword through the Mare's chest. He stabbed down and found there was nothing there.

Something grabbed Jaune from behind and bit down onto his neck. Two sharp fangs pierced his jugular and drew blood. Jaune punched the Mare in the face several times, but it refused to let go. He needed to get out of the vampire's grip before it bit down any harder.

Jaune pressed his hand onto the Mare's face and cast Arclight directly onto the skin. A black burn mark imprinted itself on the woman's forehead. The vampire screamed and held it's burnt physiognomy. Jaune whipped around, and his sword met the woman's neck and severed the spinal cord and tissue holding the head onto the body.

 _Gotcha bitch!_

The Mare fell onto its knees and slumped to the side. Jaune dropped his sword and stumbled to the entrance of the locker room. The fang marks were small enough to prevent heavy bleeding, but the Mare took a large portion of his blood.

...

Jaune fell onto one of the benches in the locker room and grabbed a piece of cloth to staunch the bleeding. His limbs felt heavy, and Jaune was pretty sure he would not be walking correctly for a few days. Luckily he had some healing potions stocked up and would grab one when he properly bandaged his neck or could find a healer.

Jaune grabbed another cloth as the one he already had become soaked in blood. He didn't even care whose towels these were and just grabbed whatever he could. Placing his hand back onto his neck, Jaune groaned as he put more pressure onto the wound.

 _That's going to be sore for a while._

"That was awesome, Jaune," Ruby yelled as she rushed into the locker room. The rest of his friends followed behind her. Blake carried the blood-covered sword, and Yang held the small sack of silver.

"It was nothing," Jaune replied, trying to act humble. He pulled the cloth off his neck, but the blood still flowed in smaller amounts. He was just glad he didn't contract vampirism. Jaune didn't have to go through it when he fought the fledgeling, but Port said it felt like your blood was boiling and Jaune did not want to go through that.

"Yeah, it's not like people are going to see you as a teacher's pet or anything," Yang, sounding disappointed, referred to Jaune being called out by Port.

But did Jaune's reputation really go so far? Jaune thought his reputation for killing vampires was only centred around Bar. Maybe more people knew about him in Vale than he initially thought. His father was quite well known for his exploits, so that might have helped the tales spread.

"I'm not a teacher's pet," Jaune denied the accusation of being Port's favourite student. "I didn't ask to be thrown into a pit with a vampire!"

"Yang does have a point," Blake chimed in. "You didn't volunteer for the demonstration and were still picked to do it. So that does make you a teacher's pet." Jaune groaned in frustration at being called that.

"Help me!" Jaune turned to Sun looking for assistance.

"Sorry dude, you're on your own."

...

Jaune made his way to his final class for today, which was Advanced Magical Theory with Professor Ozpin. He was supposed to have Alchemical Studies before Monster Studies, but the orientation got in the way. So he would only have two classes today. The rest of his friends went to classes meant for those who were strictly warriors.

 _Maybe I could grab a seat next to Weiss?_

Jaune opened the door to the lecture hall. He was there a few minutes earlier than the actual starting time for the class. Jaune expected the room to be mostly empty, but it wasn't. Around a dozen mages were lounging or having conversations with each other. And once Jaune entered the hall, they started staring at him.

This room radiated nothing but the Willpower stat. Jaune had no doubts that he was the strongest person in the room and could easily handle combat if he got close. But then again, he had no real experience when fighting mages. He only fought creatures who used hand-to-hand combat or at least a sword or bow of some kind. So a mage could probably incinerate him or throw him across the room again with a spell.

Something that Jaune failed to notice was how different mages uniforms were from everyone else's. Mages were more or less dressed like monks. Warriors and everybody else who used a blade of some kind were dressed like ordinary people. So, he was feeling like the black sheep right now.

"Are you lost," a green-haired mage scoffed at the sight of the knight in their midst. The rest of the mages took on the same dismissive look he was donning. Jaune wondered if all mages were like this. Given his sample size of two, it was a pretty accurate depiction of them so far.

"Uhhh, no," Jaune mumbled as he closed the door behind him. "This is Advanced Magical Theory, right?" The look on the mages faces was of disbelief. Like they couldn't believe he was supposed to be in this class.

 _I'm pretty sure they don't like me._

"You're not a paladin, are you," another mage in the crowd asked. Jaune shook his head and kept to where he was standing.

"Do you at least use magic?" The same green-haired mage asked. Jaune once again shook his head. The reply from the other mages was merely a series of stares or whispers. All were being derisive towards the knight.

The green-haired mage strutted halfway between Jaune and the other magic users. He turned to his friends and began shouting in indignation. "This has got to be a joke! How low are Professor Ozpin's standards that he would allow some imbecile to attend his cla-" The green-haired mage was cut off by a sharp pain to his gut.

The mage fell to the floor as Jaune stood over the boy laying there in the fetal position. "Are you done," Jaune coldly asked as he glared downwards.

The mage didn't respond only trying to gasp for air. Jaune would have continued if the other boy hadn't already folded after one punch. It was most likely due to his weaker constitution that he couldn't handle a single blow to the gut whereas Jaune could easily shake one-off.

The other mages refused to move from their side of the room and quickly stood straight up, looking at something right behind Jaune. The knight turned to find Professor Ozpin standing right behind him, holding a mug in his right hand. Jaune's first reaction was fear and regret.

"I see you're making friends Mr Arc." Ozpin took a sip from his mug. Jaune had no idea what to say. It didn't look as though Ozpin was angry with him, but Jaune was afraid of being expelled on his first day. "Now if the rest of you will take your seats, we may begin."

Jaune saw Weiss and quickly took a seat next to her. The other students made a one-chair radius around the two. Nobody else dared to look Jaune's way after he dropped that student.

"You didn't have to hit him," Weiss scolded Jaune quietly enough so nobody but the knight could hear. "But thank you. He was getting really annoying." Jaune felt his cheeks heat up.

"And what happened to your neck?" Jaune covered up the bandage on his right side. A small piece of gauze with two bloodstains seeping through the material. "You weren't making out with that blonde girl, were you?"

"NO," he almost shouted. Jaune's face flushed a deep red, and he sputtered trying to explain how that wasn't the case. Weiss seemed to derive pleasure from Jaune's distress. At least that's what Jaune thought by how she was smiling. "No, I wasn't. I fought a vampire earlier today, and it bit me."

"Did you at least drink a cure disease potion," Weiss asked him as though it were his first time fighting a vampire. Her question was filled with enough of her bitter attitude to make it sound like she wasn't concerned with Jaune's health. She sounded more like a person trying to micromanage his every move as if he were not experienced at his job.

"I didn't contract vampirism, but I did drink one anyway," Jaune explained, remembering how terrible it was.

 _Why couldn't they make them taste like strawberries or oranges? Something that is meant to save your life shouldn't taste like ground wheat and whatever else was mixed in there!_

Ozpin loudly sipped from his mug and brought Weiss' and Jaune's attention to the professor. "If Mr Arc and Ms Schnee were paying attention. One of them should be able to answer the question I asked." Both of the student's faces turned bright red as the rest of the class laughed. Ozpin waved his hand, and the others calmed down.

Once he was sure the pair were thoroughly embarrassed, he continued the lecture.

"Magic is merely the shaping of our world through willpower." Ozpin made no movements, and the table behind him levitated off the floor. "Amazing things have been accomplished through its use. But many terrible acts have been committed as well. If you are unable to control magic, then it will destroy you." Jaune was rapidly taking notes on everything Ozpin was saying. He needed to know everything, so he would not fail this class. "Magic comes in many forms and sorcerers often divide themselves into schools where they focus on a specific type of magic. There are three specific schools of magic: the school of destruction, the school of manipulation, and the school of restoration." Ozpin mentioned each school as he numbered them off using his fingers. "The school of destruction is in the name. "Sometimes, the easiest way to get past an object is to render it to be nothing more than a pile of dust." Master Toben of the Order of the Dragon described the school of destruction in those simple words. This school is the most widely practised for its usefulness in the art of war. Cryomancy, Electromancy and Pyromancy are the most commonly used forms of destruction magic. Each type having spells ranging from novice level to master and beyond. Master spells being the most powerful and hardest to master." Ozpin let the desk settle back onto the floor. "Most mages should know at least know the most basic spells from this category."

Jaune nervously chuckled at that. He could barely cast any of those when he put his entire body into it. Jaune dreaded the day he would have to try casting something in class and fail most spectacularly.

"The school of manipulation is by far the most powerful and contains the most taboo forms of magic. All practitioners of the school of manipulation have all but shunned the use of the necromantic arts. As most of you should already know, necromancy has been outlawed in every kingdom. Hence the nickname, "The Forbidden Magics." One of the arts that makes this school so powerful is the ability to conjure armies of demons, monsters, and golems. Each of these conjurations is created by binding your magicka into a physical form. The creation will bend to your will and shall follow its master until it has either been destroyed or the magic binding it has been dispersed by the conjurer."

Jaune noted the part where he could create an army. If he had some practice, Jaune could conjure soldiers to help him out during a battle. They could also lessen the risk to his friends by making targets out of his creations. Something to cover a retreat would have been the best use for them.

"Illusion magic makes up another portion of this school. While the ability to conjure armies of the dead or other magical beings is not something to scoff at. The school of illusion is far more dangerous due to the bare nature of the art. The practitioners of the illusion school have been known to change the course of a battle through casting spells to calm the opposing side or even making them turn on each other. Some have even placed both armies under their control and captured entire territories with their slaves." Ozpin set his mug down and picked up a tome. "And finally we have the least well-known part of the manipulation school. Transmutation or simply alteration. This sub-class focuses on bending the physical world into whatever you will it to become. Moulding the earth to your desired shape or even rearranging flesh to alter your body. This school is the least practised but is the most diverse in what can be done with it. Many who practice transmutation magic are non-combatants who surprisingly focus on domestic or commercial ambitions. Becoming artisans or smiths is rather popular amongst these sorcerers."

"And for the last school, the art of restoration. In my opinion, it is by far the most important school to study under. This school mainly consists of healers and mages who practice restoration magic. They dedicate their lives to saving others. These are the most selfless and noble men and women our society has to offer." Several voices in the crowd voiced their disapproval of Ozpin's words. From what Jaune understood, there was a stigma of weakness surrounding the restoration class. He had prior knowledge about it from some of the books he managed to gather over the years. "Most healers do not study at traditional academies such as Beacon. They typically attend specialised schools to focus on their restorative abilities. While that is the rule, there are exceptions. Paladins and those who call themselves warrior-priests study amongst you. These two classes dedicate themselves to protecting the world from evils. Although they are warriors, who wield swords or staves. Paladins and priests are proficient in the two fundamental arts of the restoration school. They are both able to heal wounds and are the few classes capable of harming the undead. In fact, they specialise in hunting down demons and necromancers while banishing their creations." Ozpin took another sip from his seemingly bottomless mug of coffee. "A few paladins have made their mark on the world by battling powerful creatures. Sir Hans of the Black Sails is probably the most famous of their rank. He was able to banish a powerful demon sacrificing his life in the process." Jaune was a little more than intrigued about the paladins. He circled the term for later study on his own.

"Magic is something that is not given to a sorcerer for free. There is an exchange of materials or what we call magicka."

 _Great, now he's talking about something I can't even sense._

His health and stamina were at least not trash tier, and he could go his entire life without having to worry about how much of either he needed. They were both reinforced by his stats and provided an extra layer of protection.

"All magic is governed by the willpower stat and your magical reserves. Willpower restricting your ability to cast the spell and magicka being a physical restraint on how many spells you may cast. Every spell requires a minor portion of your concentration and should be performed when unimpeded for the best results. However, in a battle, you will not have that luxury. We will teach each of you to become more proficient when casting spells during a fight, and I recommend all of you except Mr Arc look for someone to serve as your protector. Every mage is especially vulnerable to opponents with more physical weapons, and you should hire or cooperate with another student as to bridge that gap. Mages are a hot commodity at this academy, and you should have no trouble finding someone to work with so long as you are willing." Jaune looked over at Weiss, and her glare indicated she did not share the sentiment.

At least that's what Jaune thought.

* * *

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than the others. By only a thousand words because I didn't want to draw it out any more than I already have. I hope you enjoyed the world building I put a lot of effort into. The magical part was inspired by the Elder Scrolls and Dungeons and Dragons. I spent all day yesterday typing out five-thousand of the seven-thousand words for this chapter. Mainly because I needed to get this chapter done before it messed up my schedule.**

 **I am going to try getting two chapters out next week. The Yang X Jaune fic I am working on and another chapter of my first fic. In this new fic, I decided to play with the butterfly effect with Yang. I wondered what would happen if Summer Rose hadn't died and was still alive. Her death was the entire reason as to why Yang became strong in the first place. So that is the basis for the decision behind her personality for my new fic. If I hadn't already mentioned it, this one is going to be in a high school setting. Still in Vale and with no Grimm, of course.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally got the fifth chapter out!**

 **I also began watching the new season of RWBY and it is goddam amazing! Won't be spoiling it for anybody reading this right now but it is definitely worth your time to watch. I will be using Jaune's semblance in the show for To Those Who Survived the Fall. I had originally planned to use a different semblance for Jaune, but now I have to go along with the canon now.**

* * *

 **Edit note (12/28/19): Edited this chapter for any errors and brushed up on some other stuff. Changed Jaune and Weiss' conversation, showing the beginning of Jaune's crush on the girl.**

* * *

Today was Jaune's first day in Combat Class and his first day in Magical Practice. He had a few hours before the class actually began. So Jaune decided to grab some breakfast. Maybe he could find Yang, Ruby or somebody he knew so he didn't have to sit alone. Although after the show Jaune put on yesterday; the other students in his class might not let that happen. But it would be less awkward if Jaune brought some friends with him in the event he was swarmed.

Jaune stepped out of the communal dorms and made his way over to the mess hall. The cafeteria at Beacon served the most delectable foods Jaune ever tasted. He never had stews or cuts of meat so absolutely astonishing in his entire life. Jaune's mother's cooking was amazing of course, but the food here gave that a run for its money.

Along the way, he ran into, Ren? Jaune was pretty sure that's what his name was. The raven-haired male sat alone outside the women's dorms with a book. He was probably waiting for the girl he's always following around. Jaune still had his doubts about their relationship being just friends.

"Ren, right," Jaune walked up to where he was sitting. The other boy turned a few more pages before he finally closed the book. Jaune kept his distance, however. The other male was too calm, and it threw off Jaune's vibe.

"Yes," Ren answered in a monotone voice. He was dressed in a set of green and white monk's robes. Well, they weren't really robes-more like a green tunic with white trousers. But they were close enough that Jaune could consider them robes.

"You wanna grab some breakfast? My friends haven't gotten up yet, and we have a few hours until combat class." Jaune leaned against a pillar, waiting for his response. The other boy's expression didn't change or could even be read by Jaune. He met some unemotional people in his lifetime, but this guy took the cake.

"Sure," Ren shrugged his shoulders. "Nora probably won't be up for another hour, and I can't wake her." Ren slipped his book into a satchel and stood up.

The two men walked in silence for a short time as they made their way to the cafeteria. Jaune spent most of the time thinking of a way to start a conversation. It would have been easier if Yang was around since she knew how to break the ice between people.

"So, are you ready for Combat Class today," Jaune asked with a tint of bravado to his voice. He was really excited for a chance to go at it with someone else. So far he mainly focused on monsters and maybe had a sparring match with a guard or a passing mercenary, but Jaune had little experience with fighting people. The draugr didn't count since they are dead.

"It's difficult to be ready for any sort of combat," Ren replied with the same monotone voice. "But I think I've prepared myself enough. What about you?"

 _This guy is less enthusiastic than Blake. I didn't know that was possible..._

Jaune rubbed the side of his neck. "I don't know if Professor Goodwitch will let me spar today after what happened in Port's class." That bite still hurt even after Jaune applied ointment and drank a healing potion. It had healed up enough to where Jaune didn't need to wear a bandage over it, but the wound had yet to close. Maybe it was something in the vampire's fangs that prevented the bite marks from closing?

 _I should go ask Port about that._

"Professor Goodwitch will most likely let you fight. She isn't one to discriminate over injuries unless it physically prevents you from participating." Jaune wondered if being a meal for a vampire counted as such. "You did make an impression with the professors after killing the vampire as well."

"I think the only reason I was able to kill it was because of my ability," Jaune told the truth. The silver sword helped, but Jaune wasn't able to get the vampire off of him without arclight. "I'm not sure how well my ability will perform against people, however. It works on monsters, and I blinded a guard once."

"Your abilities might just be specialised for fighting monsters," Ren suggested. "We could set up a group training session with our friends to test the limits of each of our abilities." Jaune liked that idea. He could probably con Weiss into joining the group on a more regular basis. "It would serve as good sparring practice as well."

"I'll have to ask Sun and Blake," Jaune reassured Ren of his commitment. "By the way, how do you fight? I've never seen you with a weapon." Jaune so far had seen all of his friends with their weapons. Nora, with her war hammer, and Pyrrha with her spear and shield being the most recent.

"I usually fight with my hands, but I have daggers." Two daggers fell out of Ren's sleeves. Jaune could only speculate on how they managed to stay up there. Probably some sort of clasp that came loose when Ren shook his arms a certain way.

"Do you always carry those around," Jaune asked with a tinge of concern. Sure he always carried a knife or a sword around in Bar, but it was kind of weird for someone to have daggers up their sleeves. A very deadly ace up his sleeve.

"Maybe..."

[A Few Hours Later]

Everybody sat quietly in the combat arena. Professor Goodwitch was checking for attendance, and everybody was afraid to speak. Jaune wasn't feeling too nervous about this class. The adrenaline rush from yesterday was wearing off, and he wanted to see some action. Jaune may have also wanted to see how well his friends performed.

The arena was a sandpit surrounded by wooden bleachers. It was an indoor arena connecting to the main hall, so it wasn't too hard to find. The bleachers sat about twenty feet above the pit and were bordered by a steel railing. It was as if the structure was meant to take some damage. Nothing was too ornate so it wouldn't be too expensive to replace.

Goodwitch finally spoke up. "Today will be our first day of Combat Class. And we shall go over the rules and procedures for the matches." She gestured over to Port, who was standing off to the side. "This class is rudimentary. We will do a short lecture during the beginning, and then we will have several matches during the given time. During each spar, you will abide by a strict set of rules both during and after combat."

 _Yay, rules!_

"First and foremost, a fight is to be between two willing parties. If you violate this rule, I will see to it that you are severely punished. And that means you will be thrown into the ring to serve your punishment with one of the two professors currently present. Second, the match will only begin when I say the word, and not any sooner. If you violate this rule, you know what will happen already."

Jaune snorted. He didn't know why he found that so funny.

"And finally, when an opponent's Aura drops below twenty per cent. You will cease any offensive actions, and you will lower your weapon! This rule is by far the most important. If you do not comply, you will see what an angry sorceress looks like." Glynda pushed up her glasses. Jaune felt somewhat intimidated by that last part. He was pretty sure somebody would break each of these rules in the first two weeks. Jaune just hoped that he wouldn't be on the chopping block. "During Combat Class, any progress made on your level will at best be minimal. I have already cast a spell to prevent actual bodily harm to your person. The most common injuries in this class will be bruises and minor cuts, but I will end the fighting before any life-threatening wounds can occur."

Professor Port stepped up to take over. "Now today for our first lecture. We will discuss the proper way to fight a knight in full heavy armour. The best way to teach you how to fight an armoured opponent is to use a live demonstration."

 _Port and his fucking demonstrations!_

Jaune would be pissed if he were called up again. The last time he was used as a presentation, he was made into a meal for an oversized leech.

"Mr Winchester and Ms Schnee! Would the two of you please come down to the arena."

 _Thank fucking god!_

Jaune could sit back finally and watch something! However, this match would be exciting. Jaune wondered how Weiss would be able to handle a melee fighter without somebody watching her back.

...

Cardin and Weiss stepped down to the centre of the arena. Weiss wore her usual mage robes and donned her rapier on her left side. Cardin wore a full set of dark grey steel plate with gold trim and slung a heavy mace over his shoulder. If their expressions were any indicators, neither of them were pleased with standing next to each other.

"Do the two of you understand the rules I have laid out?" Both students nodded towards Goodwitch. "Good, then you may proceed to the to the opposite ends of the arena."

"Fucking mage," Cardin cursed just before the two could get far enough away from each other. Weiss took obvious offence to it as a frown crept across her face. Jaune wanted to go down there and beat Cardin's ass for that. Weiss didn't do anything to deserve the curse.

Some students shouted for Cardin to win, but most of the crowd kept silent. Jaune also decided to be quiet and watch how the match went. He would definitely cheer for Weiss if she won, however.

Goodwitch scowled at Cardin before pushing up her glasses again. Once the two students were at the opposite sides of the arena, Goodwitch looked to both of the fighters once more. "You may begin."

Cardin rushed forward to close the gap between the two. He was obviously counting on the weakness of mages when it came to their melee abilities. The Knight held his mace diagonally towards the floor so he could attack from the bottom. The blow could easily take Weiss out of the match if she didn't stop him.

Weiss stood still, waiting for Cardin to gain some ground. By the time he reached her, she already anticipated the move and dodged the strike. Cardin's momentum carried him a few more feet before he slid to a halt.

Weiss cast an ice spell and launched it towards Cardin's back. A patch of ice froze most of the Knight's back. Something like that would have stopped most people cold.

Cardin spun around and shattered the ice covering him and made another charge towards Weiss. Throwing all semblance of an actual strategy away preferring to crush his opponent.

Cardin's mace finally found purchase on his opponent, but she had cast Dragon Skin. The Mage caught the club in her hand as the crowd watched in a stupefied gaze.

Jaune saw a smile dance across her face the moment another spell came out of her hand. A blue shockwave slammed into the Knight's chest, throwing him across the room.

Weiss took up the ox guard and dashed forward. Her rapier punctured the right pauldron of Cardin's armour. The Knight attempted to grasp the blade but was withdrawn before he could make the grab.

Cardin stood and swung his mace but found no mage as she had already retreated to the centre of the arena. The Knight charged a third time dodging two fireballs as he gained ground.

Before Cardin could go any farther, Weiss cast her final spell and froze the Knight in place. The icy prison covered all but Cardin's head and upper neck, leaving him at the mercy of the Mage.

She took several steps forward with a confident smile and swiped the flat side of her rapier against Cardin's head.

"OW, you bitch! Stop fighting like a coward," Cardin shouted at the top of his lungs but was met with another strike.

Several students in the crowd shouted insults towards the Mage but were quickly silenced by the Brawler and even Blake stepped up to intimidate their fellow students.

After Cardin's temples were severely bruised and a small streak of blood flowed down the side of his head. Goodwitch called the match and ended the Mage's onslaught. Weiss stopped midswing and broke the spell holding Cardin to the floor.

 _Holy shit! She's scarier than I thought!_

However, after the match ended, Jaune was one of the few who cheered for the Mage. His friends also clapped and congratulated the girl on her win, but the rest of the crowd beside a few mages were silent.

Port broke the silence as he waltzed into the centre of the arena. "Excellent form Ms Schnee!" The Mage nodded and left the stadium. Port shifted his posture to be at ease. "Now the key to fighting knights or any warrior wearing heavy armour is to immobilise them! Knocking them onto their backs or freezing their bodies is an excellent strategy. It also goes for any knight riding a horse. Toppling the rider or the horse, and then going for the soldier when they are down. The main weaknesses in any suit of armour will be the gaps between the joints. Forcing a spear or a sword through them will injure and possibly incapacitate your opponent. Three other places you may want to target would be the eyes, the throat and the crotch." Jaune grabbed something to write with and quickly scribbled all of this down. Ruby and some of the others didn't bother with it, but Jaune would lend them the notes if they needed them. "Do not, however, attempt to break through the armour itself," Port continued. You are more likely to shatter your blades or bludgeoning instrument before any headway is made." Jaune had seen that before. He would sometimes strength test blades by using them on amour.

Weiss sat down next to Jaune since Yang was called down for the second match. She still wore a look of displeasure on her face given the obscenities lobbed at her. Some students even poked fun at the Mage as she made her way back into the crowd.

"Weiss, you alright," Jaune asked concerned with the cloudy look she was sporting. Weiss generally had the resting bitch face look, but Jaune knew that something was up. It was unlike the Mage to be looking down.

"Nothing is wrong. I just lost my composure during the match," Weiss obviously lied. It was so apparent that even Jaune could see it. The Knight wouldn't press too hard for an answer as to not bother Weiss any further.

"You're lying. I've seen at least three of your moods: angry, slightly annoyed and slightly entertained. This one is different." Weiss looked away towards the floor. Jaune obviously struck a nerve. If she clammed up and stopped talking about it, Jaune would try to ask her in the Magical Practice class they shared later today.

She let out a long breath. "What do you know about the social stigma around mages and magic," Weiss asked as she returned to her normal irritable, yet more unenthusiastic tone.

Jaune heard some rumours about the public's opinion of magic users. In Mistral, mages were shunned in most places, and even in Vale mages were ostracised by society. Things got worse as you ventured to the southern frontier of Vale where mages were being burned alive. People were accusing them of witchcraft, or entire towns got together and lynched them.

"Some people think all mages bring bad luck or practice black magic," Jaune answered as he watched the next spar. Yang was beating the shit out of some poor spearman. Jaune tried his best to pay attention to both Weiss and the matches. "And it's going on here as well?"

"Yes, on Atlas, mages are persecuted at large by the public. They are only allowed to practice magic at the Mage's College." Jaune didn't know it was that bad up there. "In Vale, it's not as bad, mainly just insults or glares. But I still don't enjoy being harassed for being a mage."

"So, is that the reason why you yelled at me after Ozpin's speech," Jaune inquired hoping that he could finally get the reasoning behind her outburst. He remembered her mentioning something about wanting her for her name, but beyond that, Jaune left the situation alone.

"No, that was for another matter," she explained with a sigh. "Due to my family's standing in Atlesian society, I am often pursued by those who wish to woo me. Usually, it is knights that have been groomed for their entire lives to take over their family, so I am continually hearing about the feats of the supposedly 'great warriors.' Then those who learn about my Class often view me with disdain. You were one of the few along with your friends who came to treat me as another person." Weiss' right fist balled up hard enough to make her knuckles change colours.

Jaune didn't really know what to say.

He found it to be infuriating that Weiss had to go through such a rough time because of who she was. Jaune didn't care about her Class. Weiss was Weiss. Probably one of the most beautiful and smartest girls he had ever known in his life. A little rough around the edges, but she didn't deserve to be picked on by others.

Jaune felt his heart jump a little thinking about her. Weiss was literally everything he pictured in an angel. Every one of his previous crushes was literally blown out of the water by this girl sitting next to him. With the little things Jaune was finding out about Weiss, he felt his stomach tighten just a little more.

"Uhh, sorry..." Jaune apologised, looking away with a blush creeping on his cheeks. "...for bringing this up. I guess it's hard for you to talk about?"

 _Also, extremely awkward..._

"No," Weiss replied, straightening her posture. "You did nothing wrong... It is good... to talk about these things. Especially with someone who will listen."

"At least we cleared up that little misunderstanding," Jaune continued, chuckling nervously. "I didn't think things were that bad. Kind of sucks to be a mage without someone backing you up? I never saw stuff like this happen to mages back in Bar, so this is all kind of new to me."

"It can," Weiss agreed. "It is why mages often form their own societies. Since it is probably the best way to avoid those close-minded individuals." She fell silent for a few moments. "However, you mention this 'Bar.' I would assume it is a town where mages are protected?"

"Oh, yeah... The Count ordered for them to be protected," Jaune explained. "But the mages did their best to help around, and everybody trusts them now. The Count's daughter is also a mage, so her older brother wouldn't let anybody lay a finger on them. I was friends with both of them before I left for Vale. They usually put on little magic shows for some of the kids around town. "

"I see," Weiss acknowledged. Her lips curled into a slight smile. Jaune felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest.

"That is all for class today children," Goodwitch dismissed the students, bringing Jaune out his trance. He hoped that the professor hadn't noticed him paying more attention to Weiss than to the lecture. "We will reconvene this Thursday for an additional sparring session."

"And remember, stay vigilant!"

...

Jaune and Weiss didn't need to go anywhere for their next class. Goodwitch held her combat and magic class right after each other. The other mages also remained in their seats or moved to the front row. The green-haired Mage shot Jaune several dirty looks as he spoke to his friends.

Goodwitch stepped into the centre of the arena. "I see all of you are here. Today we will begin discussing Passives and the effect they have on the world."

 _Passives?_ Jaune had never heard of the term before. His books never made any mention of a Passive and his father never spoke of it either.

"Passives are a phenomenon that comes as a culmination of your person. You will not be able to sense your own Passive, but it can be learned through trial and error. Your Passive may allow you to detect someone's abilities or levels without the other person telling you. For some, it can amplify your strikes with a particular type of weapon or prevent you from using another. Other Passives may be detrimental to one stat, rendering them not being able to defend themselves from an attack adequately, or it could merely bring bad luck onto the person." Jaune rapidly took notes so he could have something to research in the library; which reminded him that he needed to go check that out some time.

"Your Passive can change with your development as a person. A Passive you may have had when you were a toddler will be different today or at least more developed along with your personality. Say if you became a pyromancer, and their Passive may allow for any spell dealing with fire to be more potent than it would typically be if you were a different person. What makes Passives interesting to study is the fact every Passive is unique. No two people have the same Passive. Two Passives can be similar, but there is always a difference between the potency of the manifestation or how many times it manifests itself."

"So you said people could discover their Passive through trial and error," Jaune asked for clarification. He was already putting together a plan to find out what his Passive was. Maybe he had something cool like being able to absorb magic spells?! "What other ways can a person learn about their Passive?"

"That, Mr Arc, would be Professor Ozpin's specialisation. He can look at a person and know what their Passive is... despite his Passive being completely different. The Headmaster will go into greater depth about Passives later in the first year. I am merely introducing the topic as something for each of you to think about." Goodwitch gestured off to the side, and a teacher's aid came out of the locker room.

"Today, some of you might have a chance to figure out what their Passive ability may be. I will teach all of you two spells, an offensive and defensive spell. The offensive spell being a simple fire magic incantation and the defensive spell is a ward. Most of you should at least understand how to cast the fire magic, but many of you are still learning how to use shielding spells." Another aide brought Jaune two books. One had the symbol of the restoration school, and the other held the emblem of the destruction school.

Jaune knew how to cast the fire magic spell. He had lots of practice attempting to activate it with minimal results. Maybe he managed to throw a stream of flames across the room once, but most of the time, he couldn't manage to cause a small flash. It was the same when he tried any electromancy or cryomancy.

He opened up the other book. There were some diagrams of wards and their respective strengths. It was all in the old language used to cast magic. Jaune couldn't remember what it was called, but he could at least read the letters. A scribe taught him how to read it if Jaune's memory served him correctly.

 _Scutum_. The rough translation Jaune could come up with was "Shield." The incantations were often one or two words and sometimes an entire sentence. Mages with extensive experience could cast spells without uttering a single word, and Jaune was not quite there yet.

"Now if all of you could come down to the arena. We can begin practising magic-based combat."

...

Jaune was the first one out of the locker room. He put on all of his gear including the now blood-stained gambeson. He didn't know how much the armour would help him against magic but was better than having nothing.

The rest of the students came in through the locker room. The group of mages Jaune fought with yesterday kept their distance. Weiss sort of stood next to Jaune, but tried her best not to make it look like she was too close. Jaune just stood casually off to the side, not trying to draw attention to himself.

"Now, for this practice session, each of you will split into pairs. Mr Arc and Mr Ao will be up first." Jaune looked over to see the green-haired Mage standing with his group. A scowl ripped across the Mage's face as his eyes and Jaune's met.

"Ohhh, I'm going to enjoy this," the green-haired Mage chuckled and cracked his knuckles. The mages had been giving Jaune looks since he dropped the kid in Ozpin's class. The other boy took a position on the other side of the arena just as Cardin and Weiss did.

"I'm sure I will," Jaune retorted as he brought out Ira Rubrum. Silver was the better weapon for mages. It would nullify the magic user's casting abilities and cut through any flesh spells already activated. However, silver swords are much more delicate and are easily shattered if a blow is landed in the blade's weak point.

The other students hid behind Professor Goodwitch as she cast her own protective barrier. "Kick his ass, Min," a mage yelled out from behind the ward. Goodwitch smacked the kid over the head with her wand and silenced any further outbursts.

Jaune stood still and held his blade out in front of him in the plough guard stance. He hoped to end this fight before the Mage could pull something out of his boot. Mages had a weak defence and constitution stat so only one blow needed to be landed.

Min took the first strike as he launched a lightning bolt out of his right hand. Jaune rolled to the left and prepared for another spell.

"SHIELD," Jaune shouted as an icy spear came at him. The Knight opened his eyes to find a circular white glyph with an ice shard stuck into it.

 _Holy Shit! I finally figured it out how to do it!_

Another ice shard whizzed past his head. "Hey! I'm still learning how to do this!" Jaune dropped the ward and stood up.

"Shut up," Min drawled as he cast another spell.

Jaune rushed forward as another series of ice shards flew past him. He pulled out his shield and charged beneath the cover. Two more spikes pierced the metal carapace as Jaune closed the distance.

Min cast another lightning bolt, and Jaune rolled to the side again. The Knight spun in a circle and threw his shield at the Mage. The guard slammed into the forehead of Jaune's opponent knocking him to the floor.

Before the Mage could fall, he managed to cast a third lightning bolt. This final spell found its mark in Jaune's breastplate and bore a hole through the steel. Jaune felt the full force of the spell and then a burning sensation on his skin.

Jaune steadied himself after he stumbled backwards. He felt his Aura only drop around thirty per cent. It still hurt like hell. And this is the second time he's been in?! First, the vampire and now his less than stellar armour was ruined again.

Jaune sniffed once as a pungent smell crossed his nose. _Is something burning?_ Jaune figured out what was on fire. His jerkin had been set alight by the spell. "Ow-ow-ow-ow! Fuck!" He pulled off his breastplate and the flaming cloth armour.

The plate embedded itself into the sand as Jaune threw it from his body. The other students watched as Jaune stripped down to nothing but his trousers. Several cheeks brightened up when Jaune finally got his armour taken off.

"Put on a shirt, you shameless cad! There are ladies present," Weiss shouted as she stepped out from behind the barrier. Blush firmly in place.

[Vale Merchant's District]

"Yep, I think your armour is busted," Yang pointed out the obvious as she held up Jaune's damaged breastplate. Jaune already made that diagnosis after he knocked out that pompous dickhead. But apparently there needed to be a second opinion.

"Thanks, Yang. I can always count on your invaluable insight," Jaune drawled, taking back his armour.

Jaune, Ruby, and Yang came down to Vale after classes to go exploring and to shop for supplies. Jaune needed to find a forge that could work with enchanted metals. Luckily he was given a lead about some guy named Alexandre. So Jaune brought the sisters along to help him lug the pile of metal he was carrying with him. Of course, he promised a reward for their efforts.

Jaune needed to find a forge because he didn't know how to work with draugr metal. The alloy was too different from any other he had used before. He was sure it had to be corundum mixed with high-carbon steel. He had worked with the steel previously, but the corundom was something entirely foreign to Jaune's understanding of metalworking. The entire process would have been relatively straightforward if not for the alloy.

"So where did you get this metal from? It stinks," Ruby grimaced as she poked at the fine layer of dead tissue on the inside of a chest plate. Jaune had not adequately cleaned the armour he had stolen from the draugr. Actually, it just sat in a vault for the past week gathering dust.

"I took it off some draugr I killed," Jaune told the truth. Ruby's face contorted into an expression of horror mixed with disgust.

"Ew-ew-ew-ew-ew!" Ruby dropped the armour and wiped her hands through some grass. Yang and Jaune started laughing at the Reaper's reaction. His little sisters were the same way whenever they had to touch something disgusting; which is why Jaune was always left with the gross jobs.

"See Ruby, this is why we wear gloves, or you're Jaune and don't feel disgusted by this stuff," Yang advised her little sister as she held up her gloved hand.

"It's true," Jaune chuckled. "After shovelling horse manure for four hours a day for the last five years. I'm pretty sure there is nothing on this planet that could gross me out." Well maybe a few things, but that's a pretty short list. Jaune would no doubt find the nastiest stuff on Remnant and accidentally fall into it, get some in his mouth, or end up being covered in it.

"By the way Jaune, who were we looking for," Yang scratched the back of her head. They were currently standing by the entrance of the large marketplace Jaune passed through before coming to Beacon. Jaune's destination was a few houses down.

"Vale's master smith," Jaune answered. "Alexandre Hepheastoun. He lives somewhere around here." Jaune picked up the armour that Ruby dropped and placed it into a cart. The wagon was filled to the brim with metal and the longswords Jaune planned to sell. He grabbed the wagon and made his way down the street.

They came to the large building where the Master resided. The home was in the Valish style with a connecting shack where the forge was located. However, the smokestack attached to the shop was not venting any smoke.

 _Are they closed today?_

Jaune knocked on the large wooden door. There was no response. Jaune hit a bit harder, and the door cracked open. A tall male with brown hair tied up in a ponytail poked his head out. The man was unkempt and wearing a loose white fencing shirt. He was probably a little older than Jaune was, and smelled like Jaune after a night of drinking.

He yawned and wiped his hand down his face before speaking up. "What time is it?" Jaune couldn't believe the man was serious. This was not what Jaune had in mind when he pictured a master swordsmith in his imagination. He thought masters were supposed to be old and crusty. Well, the Smith was crusty and smelled of debauchery, but he was admittedly not old.

"It's half-past four," Jaune answered. "This is Master Alexandre's shop?" Hopefully, Jaune got the right address. This guy's breath was strong enough that it could be set alight with a match.

"Oh, I may have slept through the whole day. So you three are my first customers..." Hepheastoun welcomed the teens into his shop. Jaune was the first through the door, and the two sisters followed.

"He's kind of hot," Yang whispered to Ruby.

"YANG," Ruby cried out as she tried to hide her face. Jaune felt the same whenever his older sisters said something embarrassing. Running away or covering your ears was the best strategy.

The lower level of the smithy was brilliantly decorated with artefacts and exquisite weaponry. These baubles could only be afforded by someone in the merchant class or above. Low-level adventurers just entering Beacon would have trouble scraping the Lien together, but Jaune managed to gather more money than some students could in their first two years.

Ruby immediately bolted over to a rack holding a golden sword. "He really is a master!" She then took a basket-hilted broadsword in her hands and ran them along the blade as she did with Jaune's.

Alexandre sat on a crate and turned towards Jaune. "So Mate, I've heard rumours about you? You're Jaune Arc, am I correct?" The Master looked to the two swords on his back. "Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, lanky. Kind of fits the description I've heard about."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"HA! I knew it," The Smith shouted and stood up. Ruby nearly dropped the sword she was inspecting as the man's pitch changed. "People have been talking about you, my friend! Supposedly you killed a strigoi on your first day at Beacon!?"

"It was a mare," Jaune corrected Alexandre. Yang and Ruby were just standing off to the side, watching the two men go at it.

"Mares-strigoi-bandits! There are not many differences! Best when cooked well!" Alexandre laughed. "So what brings you to my humble shop?!"

 _This guy is more eccentric than Professor Port..._ Jaune was having a hard time keeping up.

"I need something forged," Jaune began. "I heard you're one of the best with enchanted metals."

"Correction! I am the best!" Alexandre pulled a breastplate out of the pile Ruby, and Yang brought in. "OOooo, draugr metal! I haven't used this in some time! So what'll it be?"

Jaune fumbled a stack of papers he kept in his satchel. He planted the parchment onto a small table sitting in front of Alexandre. Ruby and Yang also came over to take a look. The Master pushed all aside to examine the diagrams.

It was a set of white and gold heavy armour. The chest plate bore the crescent moons of the Arc family. The pauldrons were carved into the shape of an eagle's head with feather engravings resembling the wings running towards the wearer's body. The vambraces and gauntlets were sculpted to echo the same figure with the placed in the back of the hand's guard. The greaves and cuisses mirrored the rest of the motif with wings coming off the front plate of the boots and the leg armour being scaled.

"Jaune... it's beautiful," Ruby drooled over the pieces of paper.

"Ruby, you're drooling again!" Yang saved the parchment before it could be ruined forever.

"But what about the helmet," Alexandre asked, flipping through the pages looking for the missing piece. "I can't seem to find it." The Smith looked up at Jaune with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess I really don't need one," Jaune chuckled nervously scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I need to stay agile and still have my peripheral vision. And a helmet would get in the way."

"THAT WILL NOT DO," Alexandre dramatically raised his voice. "Any armour such as this must have an accompanying helm to go along with it! A cape as well! If I make anything less, it will dishonour my family's name!"

"Sure... but how much will something like this cost me?" Jaune looked over at the two girls he brought with them. Both of them were thrown back by the Smith's dramatic flair.

"Five thousand Lien," Hepheastoun proudly answered. The price was not as bad as Jaune expected given he brought the metal with him. "And I will forge you set of amour no man or monster could sunder!"Alexandre threw open a door leading to an adjacent shop. "Come with me! I shall show you my forge!" Ruby and Yang followed Jaune as the eccentric Smith led them into the next room.

The shop was a masterpiece of engineering. All built around the central anvil and water bath. Jaune's forge had nothing on Alexandre's and even if he spent another twenty-thousand Lien; the Arc Family forge would never compare to this one. He had a forge that uses magicka as its heat source!

"Whoah," Jaune and Ruby's jaws both dropped at the sight. Yang snorted, as both of the teens geeked out.

"Yes, that is the reaction many have when they first see the forge," Alexandre crowed as he cleared off a table. Jaune brought the rest of the gear inside and dropped it onto the wooden slab.

"This is a very high-quality metal," Alexandre began picking up a gauntlet. "The Old Valeans were known for their metallurgy technique. No smith today could possibly recreate the alloy, but a few intrepid adventurers such as yourselves manage to find stockpiles of the metal now and then. Smiths, such as my self-tend to forge amour out of this metal as a way to show off our skills." The gauntlet in Alexandre's hands began glowing cherry red, and he moulded the metal into an ingot. "It also helps when you have an ability specifically meant for forging. It's why I'm the best!"

"That's so cool," Ruby shouted. "Does anybody else have that ability? You could make anything!"

"Everyone in my family is a smith of some kind," Alexandre proudly answered. "But I'm the only one with this ability. I can also quench metal, and grind it too. So I have lots of free time just to sit around and drink all night long."

"So jealous," Yang muttered under her breath. Jaune couldn't help but agree with her.

"But enough about that!" Alexandre eyed the piece of cloth Jaune was carrying. "What else did you bring me?!"

Jaune suddenly remembered the swords he brought with him. He also needed to bring some of the Lien he made from selling them back to share with his team. "How much can I get for these? I lifted them from inside an old armoury."

"Hey," Ruby shouted as she took one of the longswords. "When were you going to tell me about these!"

"Yeah, Jaune," Yang echoed her younger sister. "Why didn't you tell us about the cool stuff?!" The sisters began fighting over the swords while trying to get the best look at them.

Alexandre walked over to Jaune's side. "So this is what you have to deal with every day?" Both men were watching the girls fight over one of the swords.

"I have two sisters just like them," Jaune answered. "You get the whole spectrum with my family."

"Mmmm, yes," Alexandre pondered as he held the first blade up. It was a thin longsword almost in the class of a rapier. Thin runes were etched onto the fuller that glowed bright blue. The guard was carved into the shape of a lion with the pommel resembling the same figure.

Alexandre held the sword in a duelling stance, letting it run vertically as with his posture. The Smith muttered something else, and the blade ignited into a brilliant crimson flame. He then began duelling with an invisible foe as small wisps of the enchantment jumped from the edge.

Once the Smith was sure his foe had been brutally thrashed, he turned to the three heroes. "Yes, I will give you twenty-five hundred Lien for these two blades. And I will have your armour prepared and fitted by the end of next week." He sheathed the blade and ran upstairs to fetch the money presumably.

"So Mr Big Spender, what next," Yang asked as she pulled Ruby off of one of the swords. The Reaper was putting up a fight and didn't want to relinquish the blade. "We need to get out of here before Ruby drools on everything!"

Jaune hadn't actually thought of what to do next. So far he was just improvising on a day to day basis just trying to get through the week. He still had a large pool of Lien at his disposal, and he would eventually give Weiss and Ashton their cuts (Blake took one of the longswords already). Maybe he would grab some food with the sisters before they checked out the rest of the marketplace.

"I got your money," Alexandre yelled as he ran back down the stairs tripping on the last step. He quickly recovered as if nothing happened. "Those two blades were quite valuable. Are you sure you wish to sell them?"

Jaune had also taken a blade for himself in exchange for a portion of the jewellery he looted. He had yet to use the new sword and insisted on keeping Crocea Mors and Ira Rubrum around until he could find a scenario where he could test the blade out. But having the other swords would have been a waste if they sat inside of a vault and gathered dust. Alexandre knew his blades, and they would be better kept in his hands.

"Yes, I'm sure," Jaune answered. "If anything, it will keep these two from fighting over them."

"Hey!"

* * *

 **As I had stated in one of my other author notes. I will be taking a short hiatus to finish up college stuff for this year. After the 14th of December, I will have all of the free time I need to get my other chapters out. I may post one for To Those Who Survived the Fall if I have the time, but don't expect anything for the next three to four weeks.**

 **Also, I'm surprised by how quickly Beacon's Number One blew up so quickly. My first fic hasn't even gotten there in eight chapters, but the high school drama got to thirty followers in one chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**wI'm back with another chapter boys and girls!**

 **I had some minor difficulties in figuring out how I wanted to get the story started up. Then I came to a realisation. We should introduce conflict between factions in the world. Jaune does not participate in this particular squabble and is merely reacting to what is happening. This is what sets Jaune and company on their path through the main story.**

 **Now for the perfect faction that we can use. We can look to The Witcher, Berserk, and Castlevania. All three stories have their main protagonists facing off against inquisitors at some point in time. Since this version of Vale is reminiscent of a Franco-German city from the Renaissance. We can assume that there is a large faction akin to the Catholic Church in our world. So... this entire chapter's social dynamics between factions fits perfectly!**

* * *

 **Edit Note (1/13/20): Edited out the OC, made grammar changes, added some dialogue to different characters. Beginning to build Jaune's crush on Weiss.**

* * *

Jaune made his way to the library for some light reading. Today was the first time he explored the library, and he already made a note of a half-dozen books he wanted. The absolute wealth of information was astonishing for someone coming from the frontier of a kingdom. There may have been enough knowledge kept within Beacon's walls to eclipse anything Jaune had learned previously and make him out to be an idiot child.

Of course, there were libraries more extensive than the one at Beacon. Supposedly the Mage's College had the most thorough collection of magical textbooks or grimoires on the planet. Not even mentioning the horde of knowledge kept by the Mistrali Empire. Or even the lost archives that could still be hidden under the sands of the Vacuoun Desert.

He already had found his grimoires of choice and made sure to grab some coffee before sitting down. Coffee, or as Jaune nicknamed it, "The Nectar of the Gods," was possibly one of Jaune's favourite drinks if not his favourite. In Bar, any sort of exotic good such as coffee beans had always been hard to come by. Merchants weren't particular about selling the beans outside of the capital. Here in Vale, you could buy twenty pounds worth of beans for fifty Lien. The hundreds of varieties of the beans were well worth whatever coin you spent.

Jaune wondered why merchants wouldn't sell outside of Vale when it came to coffee. There was plenty of it to go around, and shortages were rare. Traders could also use their naturally higher Charisma to bargain for fantastic prices and make a massive profit. Jaune knew many villagers could afford what the merchants were selling so he couldn't fathom why they refused to dispense their goods.

Coffee on Remnant originated somewhere in southern Vacuo. The wanderers of the desert wasteland would gather the beans from the plant and make the brew out of them. During the reign of the Vacuoun Empire, the plant was widely cultivated as a commodity item for sale. When it eventually reached Vale, however, is a different story. Jaune assumed some enterprising individual brought it with him and managed to have it grow in Vale's warm and humid climate.

Jaune entered a quieter wing of the library; other students did not frequent that area in favour of the more brightly lit main hall. It was illuminated with magical flames, but many found that to be disturbing and preferred the natural light.

Rounding another corner, Jaune found Weiss sitting at one of the tables with a stack of books and a large scroll in front of her. Her hair was in its normal off-sided appearance, and she wore her mage's uniform. One thing was off about it, however. Weiss looked as though she was exhausted. Like she hadn't left the library since last night.

The two students were probably the only people in the library at this time. It was around six in the morning, and Jaune was the first person awake in the men's dorms. Weiss must have been the only other student doing anything. Nobody else was outside, and the dining hall was empty. Jaune hadn't been expecting to be disturbed by anyone, but Weiss was in front of him, so he decided to go study with her.

Not that he wouldn't anyway. Jaune could honestly say he found the girl to be rather interesting. For one, she was seemingly flawless with her intellect and mastery of magic. Despite her outward appearance, she was actually very witty in some instances, openly teasing Jaune. Finally, Weiss had a tremendous worldly experience even if she had come from some wealthy family. Their previous conversation giving Jaune that final clue, and made him conclude she wasn't some cut and dry, rich girl.

 _Okay Jaune, play it cool..._

Jaune sat down across from her, setting his coffee away from her papers. "Hey Weiss," he quietly greeted the Mage. She didn't respond so Jaune waited. After several seconds, he became worried that she didn't hear him at all. The Mage looked half-asleep and was about to drift off into a deep slumber.

"Weiss." Jaune snapped his fingers a few inches from her face. She jumped and dropped her book in front of her. Weiss must not have heard him at all. "Are you okay?"

She was definitely not okay. Sleep deprivation is a severe illness after all and not getting enough rest was liable to affect your mental state.

"Yes," she snapped out of it, tiredly responding while wiping her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Weiss' usually sour attitude had yet to make an appearance today. She may have been too tired to let it show, just allowing herself to become emotionless. Or she didn't feel the need to put up that barrier, and Jaune's lacklustre Charisma was doing its work. Despite the fact, his charm was about as useful as hitting a drake with a pillow.

"Just doing some light reading," Jaune answered with a snort. Weiss reached for one of his books and poured over the cover. He was kind of afraid she would make some snarky comment about his choice in magical grimoires. "Saw you here and didn't feel like sitting alone..." He looked down at the coffee cup. "...but you might need this more than I do." Jaune slid Weiss the cup of coffee. She was lying about being okay. The woman was exhausted and needed the caffeinated drink or else she might pass out on him.

Weiss took the cup with minor hesitation. She took one sip and immediately perked up with her eyes going wider than Ruby's. "What is this?! It tastes amazing!" She immediately took another sip and held the mug in both hands. Weiss was almost shaking as she cupped the mug in her palms.

"Coffee, with two sugars and some milk," Jaune explained with the dumbest looking grin on his face. He just found something he could use as an excuse for speaking to Weiss more often. People go to cafes to talk, and there was coffee here. So it's basically a fool-proof plan.

"I've never had coffee before," Weiss confessed, running her finger around the rim of the cup. She sounded as if she found the most fantastic treasure on the planet. It was actually kind of cute the way Weiss was talking about the brew.

"It's pretty easy to make," Jaune began describing the process. "Grind the beans into a fine powder, place the dust into a filter and, finally, run some hot water through the filter."

Then you have Nirvana in a cup.

"It's that easy," Weiss asked, taking another sip. Jaune had her full attention for once, and he was pretty sure this was Weiss being her actual self. "And you add the sugar and milk when you're done?" Jaune nodded his head. She eyed the two books that Jaune brought with him.

Weiss hummed. "Unc- Arch-Mage Ironwood's Grimoire and..." She lifted the second book up. A black cover with a white snowflake pinned to the leather. "...Practical Applications of Magic in Battle." Weiss looked as though she were taking a second to gather her thoughts. "Both of these books are complicated for a novice, but, considering how quickly you learned a shield spell. I think both of these tomes are good choices."

 _Well... that went better than I expected._

Maybe Jaune could con her into teaching him some magic. However, she mentioned that he learned a shield spell quickly. Jaune never managed to use a spell successfully before, so he had no basis on how quickly people learned magic.

"When you said I learned the shield spell quickly..." He took back one of his tomes. "...what did you mean," Jaune asked out of curiosity. He wanted to advance his understanding of magic quickly in the hopes he could apply it to his fighting style and possibly figure out his Passive.

"Most mages learn and decipher the meaning of spells over a few days," Weiss began explaining. "You learned the spell after reading it once and applied it a few minutes later to block an ice shard from Min Ao. Who, by the way, is a prodigious mage from Mistral. Somebody, like myself, who is gifted in magic and can cast especially powerful spells."

"Okay, wait..." Jaune had to take a second to let this sink in. "So, you're saying I learned a spell at a faster rate than normal mages. Do you think it's related to my Passive?"

Hopefully, he could get Weiss to describe some trick to figuring it out without having to spend years on a mountain as a monk. Jaune seemed to be behind everybody in every regard at the Academy. Lower levels, limited abilities, no Passive, and a sub-standard fighting style based on brawling. It was a miracle Jaune managed to get past the Initiation.

"You don't know what your passive is," Weiss gasped in disbelief. A trickle of her attitude shone through. "How are you still alive?"

"Dumb luck," Jaune guessed.

Well... luck and maybe a few other things have kept Jaune alive. His abilities or ability was Jaune's saving grace at points, but so far he just got lucky. His Constitution stat was also keeping him breathing as he was tossed into a wall and used a table to break his fall. None of Jaune's stats helped to dull the pain, and he felt the full force of everything that hit him. He was starting to get used to pain and would probably be able to shrug off crossbow bolts and stab wounds at this rate. Adrenaline would still take care of the pain, but he needed to be resistant to the burning sensation that you get when a spear tears through your shoulder.

"You may be fortunate if your Passive doesn't conflict with your fighting style." Weiss sounded somewhat concerned with Jaune.

He had no issues with wielding swords or shields of some kind, so his Passive must not have been related to sword fighting. If it was magical, then he needed to focus on learning as many spells as possible. Maybe he could take a quest next week to go try some of them out? Ruby would be willing to tag along if it meant being able to test their strengths.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out." Jaune pointed to his books. Arch-Mage James Ironwood's Grimoire had categorised Passives into groups. Supposedly he also discussed how they are unlocked. "But what about you? What are you working on?"

Weiss pushed some of her books to the side and unrolled a scroll. It was the rubbing taken from the crypt they explored. Well, explored is incorrect, more like run through, hoping not to be eviscerated by a rotting husk that couldn't be considered a person.

"I've been working on deciphering the language. I can only understand a part of it, but the rest is practically illegible!"

Dead languages. Jaune could have thought of a million other things that could be more entertaining, but working on this with the Mage was good enough for him.

"What do you understand," Jaune asked as he stood up to get a better view of the cuneiform.

When trying to decipher something, it is best to work from what you do understand before moving on to what you don't. Since Jaune could hardly read any Old Valean, he was probably not the best to be doing this.

"This symbol," Weiss began, pointing at a small squared face with sharp teeth. "In Vacuo, they used this symbol for the word, 'Demon.'" She opened up a book written in Vacuoun text and pointed at a similar glyph. "There are a few other motifs spread throughout the text, pointing to various gods and goddesses. I think it is a religious story..." Concluding her thoughts, Weiss seemed like she was disappointed. As if she wanted there to be more.

"Damn," Jaune cursed. "I was hoping there would be some sort of prophecy or enchantments." He shared the Mage's disappointment as this could have turned out to be something fun.

"I have to agree," Weiss said, rolling up the scroll. Jaune sat down as well. "I was hoping there would be something of actual worth here, but it was a waste of my time." She took another sip of her coffee and opened one of her books. "The writing itself might be worth something if it were an old poem. Bards or nobles would pay a hearty sum for an ancient ballad."

 _Maybe..._

Jaune sat back down and pulled out one of his own books. However, before he could get anywhere, a few light footsteps from the side drew his attention away from the manuscript.

"Miss Schnee, Mr Arc, I see the two of you are using your time wisely," Ozpin remarked without provocation, drinking from his mug. Jaune nearly leapt out of his skin at the suddenness of his appearance. "Most students would be trying to sleep in; however, the two of you are focusing on academics."

 _The hell is he doing here?_

"Yes, Headmaster," Jaune replied, forcing his heart back down his throat. "We were just working on a project." He also did not want to give away what they were studying. He had no idea how Ozpin would have reacted if he had known about Weiss keeping a copy of the rubbing.

"Trying to figure out your Passive," Ozpin looked to Jaune first. "And still working on deciphering those rubbings, I see." Weiss and Jaune looked to each other; both wondered whether or not he had been listening in the entire time. His stats may also have been influential in his ascertainment.

"Before you ask Mr Arc, I know these things." Jaune was now thoroughly creeped out by the headmaster. "And I won't tell you what your Passive is. That is for me to know and for you to find out." Jaune suddenly wondered if the man was a telepath of some kind. There was a spell for it, he was sure.

"And Miss Schnee," Ozpin began, looking directly at the Mage. "No academic pursuit is a waste of time. Even if nothing comes from it, you have learned something in the process. Keep trying, and you may be able to beat Dr Oobleck before he can translate it." Ozpin took another sip from his mug. He was about to wander off, and go do whatever a headmaster does at an academy. Before he could move, a small butterfly flew in through an open window. The grey and black insect landed on Ozpin's outstretched hand and then fluttered off. Ozpin stood there for several seconds as if he were contemplating something. "Miss Schnee, Mr Arc, please head back to your dor- Scratch that, both of you head to the women's dorms and do not leave until Professor Goodwitch says it's safe!" Ozpin set his mug onto a table and urged the two students to move along. The usually stoic wizard acted as if he were in a panic.

"What's going on," Weiss nervously asked as she gathered her research materials. Jaune just left his books on the table since he could always retrieve them later. The books weren't worth nearly as much as Jaune's life or even Weiss'.

"The Grand Inquisitor of Vale has decided to pay us a visit," Ozpin tersely responded to the younger mage. The man opened the door to the main hall and ushered the two students out. "Mr Arc, make sure Miss Schnee gets there safely! I leave the rest to you!"

...

Jaune led Weiss through the halls of Beacon. Her hand in his. The boy would have been overjoyed if this was in another situation, but unfortunately, this time, his luck wasn't there for him.

He had heard stories of the inquisitors who were sent to root out heretics. One man, if Jaune could remember correctly, escaped from inside of an Inquisition dungeon before fleeing to Bar. The man told his story at the tavern and many secretly worried about the Church coming to hunt him. Their fears were justified because of the inquisitor's habit of burning towns to nothing but ash.

Both Bar and Beacon could defend themselves from any army wishing to lay siege to their land, but the Inquisition came from the Church. That was outside of the King of Vale's jurisdiction and protection. There was free reign for inquisitors to do as they wished under the guise they were working within the laws. However, the inquisitors routinely kidnapped people they claimed to be demon worshippers or necromancers. So violating the laws of a sovereign kingdom did not matter to the Church.

The Count of Bar frequently had any inquisitors executed by the guards before they could report back to the Church. Of course, there was always an excuse used by the governor as to what happened to the men. The townsfolk were a largely irreligious group of people, who didn't take kindly to the government or the Church, so they had no reason to betray the town. They were also very out of the way, and many of the deaths could be attributed to monster attacks or bandits-no evidence to prove what actually happened to the men.

Jaune let go of Weiss' hand as they passed by the locker rooms. He ducked into the empty storage room and grabbed the enchanted sword he had kept for himself. If Ozpin were this worried about the presence of an inquisitor, Jaune would need a blade to defend himself and others. An especially mighty enchanted sword could do away with a high-ranking holy knight or priest. Provided he was not combatting an opponent with an overwhelming agility stat, Jaune felt as though he could land a killing blow before he was killed. That may have been foolish bravado talking.

"Jaune, hurry up," Weiss practically screamed at the knight. He glanced back to her, finding a fearful expression on her face. It only encouraged the boy to move his ass and grab what he needed.

Jaune had no worries about being harassed by the Inquisition, but Weiss was a mage. The Church had become fond of torturing mages who were accused of black magic and Weiss could easily be targeted because of who she was. The last thing Jaune wanted was to see Weiss getting dragged off by anybody looking to do her harm. The same went for all of his friends.

"Alright, let's go," Jaune grabbed Weiss hand and dragged her through the hallways. He would have been afraid of hurting her if not for the current situation.

Actually, this was supposed to be a Knight's job, right? Protecting fair ladies by any means necessary?

...

They cut across a small courtyard on the way to the women's dorms. Nobody was outside of the building either. Everybody must have fled for shelter or used some cloaking magic to disappear from sight. Professor Goodwitch was the only other person out at this time. Her face was contorted into a scowl as she held her wand in her right hand.

"Professor Goodwitch," Jaune exhaled, bending over to catch his breath. "The Headmaster told us to take shelter here!"

Jaune would have naturally been nervous about going into the women's dorms. Because... well he's a guy. You were not allowed into the opposite gender's dorms. And being the only dude in a room full of beautiful women was quite distracting if you were Jaune.

"Yes, he notified me after the inquisitors were spotted," Goodwitch opened the door to the women's dorms. "Bar the door once inside, and let no one leave. You're the only one with a weapon, so it's your job to protect everyone if we come under attack and they manage to get past me."

No pressure... Jaune had no clue for how he was going to protect a hundred or so people from what could potentially be an army of fanatics.

Weiss ducked into the hall first, and Jaune followed. Once the door was shut, Jaune lifted the massive wood and steel beam into place. He effectively blocked any intruders from coming in and cut off an escape at the same time. So, if the building was set on fire, they were fucked.

Jaune grabbed his sword and turned around. There he met a hundred pairs of eyes staring back at him. Jaune felt very uncomfortable right now and just wanted to find a corner to go hide in. However, Jaune was an adult; he could socialise with anybody despite their gender, no matter how terrible he was with girls.

 _They're staring at me!_

"Hi Jaune," Ruby yelled from the top of one of the bunk beds. She was standing on top of it, waving to the knight as he stood near the door.

The men and women's dorms both had bunk beds. Around four-hundred in each to hold many students during their first year of classes. The worst thing about the dorms was the lack of privacy, but the beds were excellent. Jaune considered following Goodwitch's advice and eventually finding a small house in the city or renting a single-room at Beacon.

Jaune pushed through the crowd and made his way over to Ruby. Weiss was sitting on the bottom bunk the two shared. Jaune wondered how that happened, but that was for a later date. Yang and Blake were just opposite of the Mage and Reaper, and Pyrrha shared her bunk bed with another absent individual.

"So, Weiss-Cream," Yang teased the Mage. A Chesire-style grin crossed the blonde's lips. "Sneaking in boys, huh?" Weiss' face turned blood red, and Jaune's face turned a bright shade of vermilion. Some of the other girls started laughing, and Ruby berated her older sister for thinking such things.

"WHAT, NO," Weiss shouted in indignation and partial disgust. "I would never-" She stopped after seeing Jaune standing among the crowd. He felt slightly hurt but understood that she probably was not one for meaningless trysts. Jaune was the same way, but if he liked the person, he wouldn't stop it from happening. "That is undignified behaviour for a lady!" She managed to sound sophisticated even when angry.

"So that mean's nobody else has tried out this bicycle ride yet," Yang teased as she pulled Jaune to the circle. He had no idea what a bicycle was, and if she meant that nobody had sex with him yet, she would be correct. Jaune, sadly, was still a virgin.

"What are you doing here anyway," Blake asked as she sat on the bottom of another bunk wrapped in a large blanket. She was reading something, but she concealed the cover of the book with a piece of paper. "Professor Goodwitch told everyone to stay inside until she said so."

Jaune sat down and leaned against Blake's bunk. "Well, Blake, His Eminence, The Grand Inquisitor of Vale has decided to make an appearance." Several people gasped, and Jaune heard a book hit the floor. Jaune wasn't trying to sound ominous, but the reaction Jaune got suggested he wasn't the word-smith he thought he was.

 _That damn Charisma stat coming to bite me in the ass again!_

"I need to get out of here," Blake muttered as she stood up. Jaune tried to stop her, but she vanished into thin air before he could do anything to help Blake. Some of the others were stunned by her sudden escape.

 _Why did she run?_

"What was that?!" Ruby jumped down from the top bunk and examined the spot where Blake vanished. All she could find was a small pile of ash with no discernable way to trace her location.

"She used a teleportation spell," Weiss explained as she set her books aside. "It's a one-person translocation incantation. Untraceable by anybody other than the caster."

 _Yeah... What she said._

Jaune trusted Weiss to know what she was talking about. Her magic related stats were high enough to be able to understand what was going on immediately. And a spell such as this would have been under the manipulation school if Jaune was using the description aptly.

"It could be the inquisitors," Jaune spoke up. "They've harassed faunus as well as mages in the past. She probably just didn't want to take the risk."

"They've been on Patch before too," Yang added in. She sat down next to Jaune and took a bite out a piece of bread. "The leshens wouldn't let them get past the coast, so we were safe."

If Jaune had water in his mouth, he would surely spit it out. "Wait, you have leshens on Patch?!"

Leshens are woodland spirits and are categorised as relicts. Relicts being any sort of ancient species from another age. They are also known as spriggans by some cultures; however, the spriggan is another species of woodland spirit that is more humanoid in appearance. Both species are large bipedal creatures with a pseudo-wooden carapace and possess an ancient form of magic that allows them to have control over their environment. Essentially, they are masters of the oldest arts from the manipulation school. Very dangerous if provoked and they have been known to bury or impale entire battalions of soldiers before they have a clue as to what just happened.

"Yeah," Yang nonchalantly answered him. "They don't harm the islanders if you don't provoke them. They don't like foreigners, but the leshens will leave you alone if you're with someone who was born on the island."

Jaune made up his mind that he was never going to visit Patch. He liked living, and he did not want to be torn apart by some angry tree man.

"Ruby's even talked to one before." They all looked over to the now blushing reaper. Somehow she managed to do it. It was beyond Jaune, and he didn't really care right now.

"Now, back to the real subject at hand here," Yang continued. "Why were you and Weiss out this early? Got any excuses? You just so happened to fall asleep: naked, in the same bed, with-"

"Yang stop," Jaune abruptly raised his voice. "We were in the library doing research. I also told Weiss how to make coffee." Jaune still had a deep red blush on his face from Yang's practically non-stop teasing. He hopefully explained it well enough that Yang would leave the two alone and not bother them any longer.

"Awww," Yang cooed. "They had a study date!"

 _Does this woman ever run out ways to tease someone? Literally, every single thing can be contorted to be made into a joke!_

"It was not a date, you boob," Weiss shouted in anger. Blush firmly in place once again. "We were trying to decipher script from an ancient language! But we were rudely interrupted when these sycophants decided to intrude on campus grounds!"

"They're both nerds too!" Yang exaggeratedly cupped her cheeks as she made fun of the two. "You two are perfect for each other!"

"Yang, this is serious!" Jaune bit his lip, hoping to not yell at the blonde. But now was not the time for jokes! The people outside roaming about the campus could be potentially trying to kill everyone, or they were hunting for somebody specifically! And Jaune was stuck with the most nerve-racking job in all of Vale!

"I have to agree with him, Yang," Pyrrha started, finally joining the conversation. She was quiet for most of the time. The red-head may have tried to get a word in during the beginning, but was drowned out by the other more vocal students. "I have never heard of the Inquisition before coming to Vale, but judging by Blake's reaction as well as Jaune's. These are dangerous people. We should be finding a way to flee to the Emerald Forest."

It was the perfect area to hide in. Ancient ruins were half-buried throughout the wood, and there were enough flora and fauna to sustain a large group of people hiding within the forest.

 _Just perfect! Just fucking perfect!_

The entire hall silenced itself at once as some faint yelling came through the massive doors. One voice sounded as if it were Professor Goodwitch's and the other or others sounded as they belonged to a group of men. Jaune crept up to the closed hatch along with Pyrrha. The red-head took Jaune's sword out of the sheath and held it in a reverse grip.

 _"You are trespassing on His Majesty's lands; I command you to leave at once!"_

That was Professor Goodwitch. She sounded heated, Jaune had never heard the woman this angry before during his short time at the Academy. Or any woman besides Weiss at this point.

 _"Do you think I am intimidated by the threat of the lowly King of Vale! Or the ravings a madwoman! I have been ordered by the King of Kings himself to do his bidding! To root out the heretics harboured here!"_

The other man was a complete fanatic. Beyond insane if he could be described adequately with words. Must have been some sort of priest if his class categorised him. Or a fanatical paladin?

 _"You will allow me to have unfettered access so that I may save these children from their godless ways!"_

He shouted at the top of his lungs! The lunatic was preaching to whoever was on his side. The effect of his Charisma stat must have rallied his own men. A high-levelled sorceress, such as Professor Goodwitch should have been immune to the man's ramblings.

 _"Leave..."_

That was the last thing Jaune heard before Pyrrha pulled him back to the centre of the building. Yang was holding onto Ruby, preparing for a fight to break out. Weiss was sitting down on one of the bunks. Jaune just sat down next to the Mage, waiting this whole thing out with bated breath.

...

Nearly half a day later, the panic at Beacon subsided. Goodwitch explained the situation to everyone after the inquisitors left and made sure that everyone understood her. Apparently, several small skirmishes broke out all over the institute, and several fourth and second years fought alongside the guards. There were no casualties among Beacon's, but most of the inquisitors were killed or incapacitated.

Classes were either suspended or optional for the rest of the week. Jaune was still going to attend, but most of his friends were opting out. Yang and Ruby stayed in the dorms and were going to try to blow off some steam. Weiss also stayed behind to do some research in the library. Pyrrha went to the gymnasium for some extra training.

Jaune was going to finish up his day with Professor Peach's class. He walked through the open courtyard as students were scrambling in between classes or trying to get from one building to another. The faculty had already cleaned up the mess and were surprisingly adept at covering up bloodstains. The burn marks and scuffs in the dirt remained as the only reminder of what happened here.

Just how many men the inquisitors brought here was still a mystery. By the sheer volume of footprints, Jaune assumed there were more than one hundred soldiers, both Valish and Inquisition. The Inquisition wasn't known for their use of mages or any magic so their numbers could have been dwindled down by Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch; leaving fewer people fighting on Vale's side and a lot more from the Inquisition due to the power a single mage possessed.

Some kids were brave enough or foolish enough to still go to lessons after what happened today. Jaune was probably the latter if he had asked for a peer's opinion. Most other students just took the time to slack off and sneak off into Vale for fun. Jaune however, was actually serious about his work and needed to go despite the events that transpired.

He couldn't have been much help with those who were still shaken after hearing the sounds of a real battle for the first time. Jaune was better at handling the situation as it unfolded, but the aftermath should be left to more experienced individuals. It was merely best for him to bide his time at lessons while everything cooled down.

He found the meeting place he had been told of. It was adjacent to a small garden with some stone benches. Four or five other students had gathered in the same area. He spotted Sun and Ren having a chat.

"Hey." Jaune waved to his fellow men, taking carful step over a flower bed. The Rogue and Monk stopped talking suddenly, giving him the impression the two were discussing something important. For that, Jaune chastised himself.

"Hey," Sun echoed back as he stood up straight. "We heard what happened earlier today. You got stuck outside when those guys attacked us?"

"Yeah," Jaune answered, running a hand through his hair. "I hid in the girl's dorms. Guys are going to be super jealous of me now."

It was true. Jaune got more than a few looks when he got out of the hall. Some of the male students were already jealous that Jaune hung around a bunch of beautiful women all the time when they were fighting for whatever scraps of attention they could get. Jaune wasn't complaining; a few stern glares wouldn't force him to abandon his friends.

"Jeez dude, why can't I have that sort of luck," Sun replied with a chuckle. "Hanging out with the girls all day?"

"Yes," Ren agreed. "I think it would be preferable over sitting in the men's dorms. Our fellow warriors were boasting about how they would fight the entire time..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, man," Sun confirmed. "Cardin wouldn't shut up! We got tired of him and went up to the roof."

Jaune couldn't begin to imagine how annoying that would be. However, he was curious about what Sun might have seen up there.

"Did you see the fight," Jaune asked, moving to stand next to his friends. "We only heard a lot of magic being thrown around and swords clanging. Yang got a peak when I lifted her on my shoulders."

She couldn't see much as a lot of dust had been kicked up during the battle. However, the brilliant sparks of purple light coming from within the cloud and the dozens of explosions gave the kids some hope they were winning.

"It was a slaughter," Ren answered honestly, keeping his monotone expression and voice. "Professor Goodwitch mopped the floor with half of the soldiers. But there's not much else to tell. We saw some Fourth-Years chase them out though."

Huh... Not as much action as I thought there would be.

Dr Oobleck arrived, and everyone turned to him.

"Ah, gentlemen, I see there are more of you than I had originally expected. I'm glad you are using this time and not wasting it on skipping lessons." The doctor took a sip from a canteen in his hands. "I will be leading our expedition into the Emerald Forest," Oobleck began. "We will forage for several ingredients needed for our next class. And given the small number of students here, I will require each of you to gather enough ingredients for several dozen people." He handed each of them a piece of parchment and pointed towards the forest.

...

Sun, Ren, and Jaune set off in a different direction than the others. Just anywhere away from the main group as smaller cliques of friends did. They could easily gather more stuff as they worked together, so it didn't harm their task. During their walk, there was a slight tension in the air. Nobody said anything about it, allowing it to grow enough to be cut by a knife.

They reached a small clearing where they found the different ingredients they were told to gather. Valean red caps, wolfsbane, shatter shrooms, and psilocybe all grew around this spot. He remembered Ruby talking about it after Weiss dragged her out here to gather some ingredients.

However, there was a topic on Jaune's mind that he wanted to ask a faunus about another faunus. Particularly a blonde one who seemed to take an interest in a black-haired beauty.

"So Sun... have you seen Blake," Jaune straightforwardly asked, picking a wolfsbane stalk and placing it into his bag. "She ran off when I mentioned something about the inquisitors. Thought you might have run into her. Or went looking for her."

Jaune would have guessed it was normal behaviour for a thief/assassin/rogue class to prefer running away from hordes of fanatics. However, the other rogue classes stayed inside of the dorms and even fashioned makeshift weapons in the event they couldn't reach their own lockers. So whatever it was, it had to do with the Inquisition, or she was possibly that easily startled by them appearing. It could have also been self-preservation instincts that drove her to vanish before all hell could break loose.

"Oh, yeah," Sun replied as he picked a large mushroom off the forest floor. "Ran into her like an hour ago. She looked kind of shaken up. Didn't pry into it."

 _Did you not ask if she was okay?_

"Aren't you supposed to pry when it comes to these things," Jaune asked both out of general curiosity and confusion as to why Sun didn't check on her. "Like see if she was fine or needed some help. You know... be a gentleman?"

 _All the basic stuff I learned from my sisters._

Sun gave him a puzzled look at his tone. "Well..." he began, rubbing the back of his head. "Blake really didn't give me the chance to ask. She turned invisible, so that meant she wanted to be alone. Blake's not really the kind of girl who likes being asked if she's all right anyway... I'll just go find her later."

"I see," Jaune acknowledged. He grabbed the last of the psilocybe needed for Professor Peach's demonstration. "But why do you guys think the inquisitors tried to attack Beacon anyways? They would have known about Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch."

 _Stupid idea to attack with them around..._

"We were actually discussing this," Ren spoke up. "I've heard a little about them. They have forced several universities to shut down over the last few years. Rumours going around say they brainwash entire towns. They probably didn't think the risk mattered if they were planning on taking people, though. This is the first I've heard of them outright attacking Beacon too."

"But we think they might come back," Sun continued the train of thought. "If they threw away their guys like this, then they don't care about how many they lose. That means they have a bunch more or they can go find some new guys. If the Church wants to try again, there may be a lot more joining up for round two."

 _Just prodding defences right now... Then they'll swarm us. That's if the Church gets past the guards, which leaves us sitting on the front line._

 _I'm too weak to fight if that happens then..._

"So do you guys have any ideas," Jaune asked, putting his companions on the spot for an idea. "None of us or our friends are ready for an actual battle. Considering how we were nearly caught with our pants down. We need some sort of 'Plan B,' in the event everything goes to hell." Jaune liked contingency plans; they made his mind feel at ease. One of the first things Jaune did before going out on a hunt was to have a backup plan in case the hunt went awry.

"We should get everyone together this weekend," Ren suggested as he leaned down to gather some mushrooms. "We can come up with something then, but now we just need to make it through the week without anything happening. I suggest beginning to go out on quests to raise money and levels. We can use that to buy a house or rent a place out in the city."

 _I've got nothing against it..._

"Love it," Sun agreed, turning to face his friends. "Jaune does some information gathering and gets the 'Princess' onboard. I'll go wrangle Blake. Ren, you grab Nora and the others..."

It was a start, but they needed to come up with something substantial before the beginning of next week. Nobody was piloting the ship at the moment, and someone needed to take the helm so they could try steering everyone in the right direction.

* * *

 **Now the "Church," or "Inquisition," in this world are modelled after the Catholic Church in Spain during the 1500's. The Spanish Inquisition to be more specific. You could also compare them to the Church of the Eternal Fire in Novigrad and the Holy See in Midland. This faction will make repeated appearances in Vale and Jaune will have several encounters with them. I am also setting up a Vampire Faction and Mistral's Royal Faction as well for later use in the story. But the last two won't be introduced until Jaune eventually becomes a competent combatant when it comes to people. So the Vampires and Mistralis won't appear for another thirty chapters or so.**

 **This chapter ends up becoming a lockdown due to an intruder on campus. Jaune doesn't get to see any action because this is between the Academy and the inquisitors. Our main character has only been in school for around four days at this point and shouldn't be expected to be a hero yet. He's still a small fry that has yet to kill his first person. Once Jaune becomes more developed he will begin taking on groups of foes with ease.**

 **Also does anybody have a list of popular animes? I need to get a bunch of examples for Beacon's Number One (The two main characters hang out and watch anime. It's basically what helps them to break the ice.), but all of my favourites end up being like Berserk or Tokyo Ghoul. I need mainstream shows that are not gory and someone in a high school setting would watch. I am going to include Berserk, Tokyo Ghoul, Code Geass, and a few others I can think of. I just need like four more.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Suprise! I got another chapter out! Bet you weren't expecting that!**

 **Welcome back to my Witcher/Elder Scrolls Online-esque RPG whatever the fuck you want to call it! It's here and we'll be doing weekly updates from now on along with The Lengths We Must Go To and Beacon's Number One!**

 **I'm going to shorten the chapters down to around five thousand to six thousand words because writing seven thousand to nine thousand words takes too long. The difference between five thousand words and seven thousand words is a lot when you consider how much time it takes to come up with that additional two thousand words.**

 **If you have not already noticed, I have taken down To Those Who Survived The Fall. I plan on rewriting it and making it a lot better.**

 **Another change to this specific fic is the OC that I used as Jaune's best friend. I've renamed him, "Ashton Hide." Ashton meaning 'from the town with ash trees.' Since he is also known as a dragon knight and carries Dragon Slayer, both are synonymous with fire and tons of ash. His new last name is an alternate spelling of the Danish word for Heath or 'Hede.' But I changed the spelling to have a double meaning so you might read it as, 'Hide,' and it looks like Hyde or Mr Hyde. Or if you're me and watched Tokyo Ghoul, then you accidentally read it as, "Hide," or the nickname of Kaneki's best friend.**

 **Now all of our friends from RWBY and JNPR plus one will be getting to know each other for the first time. This is the first scene where every one wil be sitting down and working together on something.**

 **Also is anybody getting the error type one messages when they check their statistics. I've been getting the same error since Monday and it's bothering me.**

* * *

Jaune finally managed to get through the week with little to no dilemmas. Class was alright, Goodwitch began team battles and army formations with Professor Port. Jaune narrowly defeated another student by the name of Russel Thrush in combat class. And there were no other attacks from the Inquisition.

In Jaune's spare time, he continued to read. He was halfway through another grimoire, this time Professor Goodwitch's personal textbook. There were a few others he had made a note of, some relating to botany and herbology, another about farming and growing plants. Finally, he earmarked a bestiary written by Professor Port. The old man's newest copy, not the old one Jaune found in his house.

Of course, Jaune wasn't going to be able to read these tomes and have full comprehension in just one day. When there was a lull in classwork, Jaune would sit down and immerse himself in his studies. He was already using all of his time that was not spent training his body or practising his sword techniques to read. But given a few weeks of taking notes and learning to understand everything that was written would allow him to grasp the knowledge. Or have a rudimentary comprehension of the subject matters.

Ren, Sun, and Jaune were also talking to the others about setting up a meeting with their friends. Yang and Ruby didn't need any convincing to join the plan. They were easily swayed with the prospect of being able to adventure with a group of people. The sisters promised to try getting Pyrrha to go along with the plan. Sun went to find Blake. And Jaune... he had Weiss.

Jaune felt excited to go talk to Weiss once again. The two had spoken once more over coffee about the origins of the monsters of Remnant since the attack. It was also nice to find out that Weiss had the same Monster Studies class that he had. All of their friends were pleasantly surprised to see Weiss sitting along the front row when they arrived.

The reason why Jaune felt so nervous to talk to her again was obvious. Whenever he looked at her, the boy felt his heart ache. He couldn't stop thinking about her. About how pretty Weiss was, what she would say on their next meeting, and just wondering when he could see her again. This rush of hormones to his system, leaving him feeling elated after every encounter.

Jaune felt kind of stupid for starting to crush on the Mage, having only known her for less than two weeks now. But his heart knew what it wanted. This revelation only made him more careful to choose his words around her.

Now Jaune was hoping to find Weiss in the library once again. He brought along two mugs of coffee with him in the event the Mage was still working on translating her scroll. To be short, Jaune was bribing Weiss. Not that he enjoyed spending time with her or anything. But the brew was a means to sweeten the deal for the Mage - to get her in the right mood. Not that mood but a semi-amiable open to conversation mood.

Jaune stepped back into the library. Given that it was the weekend, there were no students in the building. Of course, you wouldn't find a single teenager studying at this hour when they could be sleeping in. Weiss and Jaune were the exceptions, but that's because they are weird. Being a farmer and smith always meant you had to up bright and early for work. He didn't know about Weiss' backstory, however.

Weiss sat in the same booth as she did three days ago. Jaune could see part of her mage robes hanging out from behind a wall. It was precisely what Jaune had predicted. She was reading or studying magic or other related topics.

Jaune came around the wall and looked down at Weiss. She was sleeping among a pile of books and papers. Her light snoring soft enough you couldn't hear if not standing next to her. The Mage's hair was splayed out, mingling with the items on the table. She looked peaceful hunched over and drooling onto the table.

The Knight sat in front of her, lightly setting the coffee in front of the sleeping beauty. The faint scent of the brew wafted up into the woman's nostrils. She sniffed once-twice and then slowly opened her eyes. There was a moment where she tried to regain her consciousness. Weiss wiped her eyes and settled them onto the mug.

"Hey, Weiss," Jaune quietly said. They were in a library and needed to keep it down. "Still working on the rubbing? Made any progress?"

 _Time to butter up the Snow Angel. Well... not exactly buttering her up, but using enough flattery and conversation to persuade her._

"Hey, Arc," she quietly replied. "And yes, I'm still working on it. I've translated a stanza of the script so far."

 _Damn, she works fast. Must be nice having a high intelligence stat._ However, Dr Oobleck might have already finished the entire thing before Weiss got anywhere close to deciphering half of it.

"What have you figured out," Jaune asked out of curiosity.

He wanted to see where this was going. Maybe it was an enchantment list after all. Then Jaune would have something to spend the rest of his Lien on.

Now that Jaune was thinking about it. He was running dry on Lien. He spent five-thousand on his armour and another hundred or so on miscellaneous items over the past week. What was left wasn't going to last Jaune long. He also needed to send some back home - halving the total time he could go without needing more money. Then there were living expenses which used up the rest of his hard-earned Lien. Maybe another two months if he was a miser and only purchased the bare necessities.

So, enchanting was going to have to wait until there was a reliable stream of income. Jaune wasn't expecting to have so many expenses this early during his stay at Beacon. If anything, it would have been best to leave buying a new set of armour for later, but the opportunity arose, and Jaune managed to snag a set of high-level gear while he was a greenhorn. Raiding a dungeon also allowed for Jaune to be liberal with his spending... too liberal.

If Jaune kept up with this pattern of spending. Then he would need to go dungeon diving on the regular to keep himself in food and wool. Trying to quickly rise to the level of the other students forced Jaune to have to spend his hard-earned Lien early on in the semester.

There was also the matter of levels. If Jaune was able to find a reliable way to increase his levels and stats, then he could go after bigger hunts with fewer people to split the rewards. The vampire Jaune killed on his first day only gave him a level and a half. But Jaune spent much more trying effort trying to kill it than he gained in Exp. So he was dealing with a net loss.

He also was not able to loot the creature. Jaune presumed Professor Port carted the corpse off for a dissection. So there went that potential source of income. And any sort of knowledge he could gain from the headless body.

Jaune's final goal for this year or hopefully this semester was to purchase a home either in or outside of Beacon Academy. Since there was the issue of the inquisitors coming back. Living outside of the academy was the preferable option.

But buying a house in Vale was not an inexpensive endeavour. Jaune did some research and found that the most significant ingredient in purchasing a home was coin. Lots and lots of golden coins. Depending on the area in the city you chose to live determined the amount of gold that was needed to be spent. Living in the merchant quarter was costly. Taxes and having to purchase the home; made it not worth living in the city itself.

Weiss rapped her fingernails on the wooden table. "So far, with what I've deciphered." She pulled a notebook out from under a pile of letters. "It is a religious sermon and ballad. You can see the rhyme scheme." The heiress directed Jaune to the first stanza. "It's written in a hexametre rhyme scheme. As you can see with the spondee at the end and the dactyl before the last foot."

Jaune was not a poetry connoisseur, so he was lost. But chose to listen regardless.

...

"I can show you the rest when I'm done deciphering it," she finished her lecture on ancient poetry. "But what about you? You don't have any study materials with you, so I'm assuming you're here to talk?"

Damn, she read me like a book. It's actually kind of scary now that I think about it.

"Ummm, how do I put this," Jaune began. He needed a moment to put everything together. "Ever since the attack from the Inquisition. Ren, Sun, and I have been thinking..."

"I'm already worried," Weiss teased.

 _Ouch. That burned._

Knights were not known for their Intelligence. That was the department for scholars, philosophers, and magic users — the classes that were distinguished for the abilities when it came to the mind. But Jaune was not your stereotypical knight who had Charisma flowing out of him. Sun and Ren seemed smart enough as well. Although Sun may have been a bit dumb at times.

"My fragile male ego has been wounded," Jaune jested, placing his hand over his heart. "But, we think we should get out of Beacon. Out of the dorms."

Somewhere at least. Anywhere is better than an academy that is being targeted by half of the factions in the city. The mages wanted more influence, the rogues didn't really care, the warriors wanted to get rid of the mages, and the other factions wanted control of the entire academy.

"You're concerned about the inquisitors coming back?" Weiss took a sip from her coffee. She said exactly what was on Jaune's mind.

"Yeah, and we're not prepared to fight against an army," Jaune explained taking another sip of his coffee. "I'm afraid they will come back with a battalion or a regiment. An army that Professor Goodwitch or Ozpin can't stop."

Mages only had so much magicka before they exhausted their supply. It's why most adventurers refrain from using their magic and prefer swords. And if the Church brought along eight hundred or more than two thousand soldiers who were all willing to die. Then there was not much that could stop them.

Weiss sighed, "You have a point! So what is the plan and what do I get out of it?" A confident look on her face, placing herself at the head of negotiations.

She was looking out for herself. Well, everybody looks out for number one. Mages have been known to be more concerned about their own interests when discussing cooperating on projects. Rogues are the same, but they usually are loners who prefer to work by themselves rather than in groups.

"You will have a say in the plan we come up with," Jaune cheerfully responded. "And if everything goes according to plan. You might be able to adventure with a group regularly. That would mean someone could watch your back and you could take on more difficult quests to earn more Lien."

Hopefully, Jaune could pass this charisma check with flying colours. He could talk a merchant down to a lower price on his goods. Convincing a mage to come to a meeting shouldn't be too hard, right?

Weiss took a minute to think over Jaune's proposal. Jaune held his tongue in anticipation. If she didn't agree, then the meeting would have Ruby and Yang as a guaranteed backup. Maybe Blake, if she was willing. Jaune hoped Weiss would accept and they could work together a few more times.

She took a sip of her coffee. "Because you brought me coffee," she began with a smile. "I will play along for now." That was encouraging! Hopefully, the prospect of gold would continue to ensure her cooperation.

"Good-good," Jaune exclaimed. "We'll meet in Professor Port's lecture hall after dinner!"

...

As the cafeteria had closed for the day. Jaune made his way to Professor Port's hall to meet with everyone. Yang and Ruby would definitely be there. Blake and Sun should be there if they upheld their end. Everybody else was a mystery. Nora and Pyrrha were Ren and Yang's friends, and Jaune didn't know where their relationship stood. So they would be the wildcards. Weiss, if she kept her promise, would show.

Jaune pushed the door to the lecture hall open. Most of the lights had been turned off. He could see Blake and Sun standing down by the middle of the room. Both were leaning against the Professor's desk. Jaune waved to the Rogue and in turn gave Jaune a salute. Blake nodded to Jaune as he walked past the empty rows of desks.

"Hey," Jaune called out, leaning against the first row of desks. "You guys ready for this?" Jaune was ready to go hunt some monsters or people, depending on which paid more. He wasn't too picky at the moment but would prefer monsters.

"I am," Sun confidently replied. "I don't know about her." He pointed over to Blake, who rolled her eyes. She was, at least from what Jaune could see, in a much better mood.

The door to the lecture hall opened again. It was Ruby and Yang. "Sorry guys," Ruby apologised from the top of the stairs. "Yang got us lost on the way over here. She was checking out a boy!"

 _And now the sibling banter starts._

"Heyy," Yang whined. "Ruby! You weren't supposed to tell them!" Jaune knew what it was like. If he even looked at a girl in Bar, his sisters were all over it. He shuddered at the thought.

"Speaking of boys," Jaune interrupted. "Do you know where Ren is? He was supposed to get Nora."

"Yep," Ruby chirped as she came down the flight of stairs. "We ran into him a few minutes ago!"

If all eight of his friends showed up. There would be nine people in total that could go out and take on quests. Three groups of three would be best for fighting and travelling. They would also need to accommodate for everyone's weaknesses or strengths.

"I sweet-talked Pyrrha into joining us as well!" Yang jumped up onto the front row of desks. "She was pretty eager! A little too eager, in my opinion!" Ruby was also too eager to do certain things, but she might not have been the only one.

"What about Weiss," Ruby asked with a curious look on her face.

"I saw her this morning," Jaune answered, gesturing with his hand. "Weiss said she would come."

"Hi, guys," someone shouted from the door. "See Ren, I told you they would be in here!" Jaune turned to see Nora running down the stair with Ren in pursuit. "Just as I had predicted!"

"Nora, Ruby said they would be here," Ren monotonously corrected his friend. The pair sat down in the front row to the right of Jaune. The bubbly girl was pestering the calmer male about something, but Jaune didn't pay attention.

The door opened again. This time it was Pyrrha and Weiss.

"Hello~," Pyrrha greeted the group with her sing-song voice. Weiss didn't make any sort of main entrance. The two heroes made their way to the bottom of the stairs.

 _All right, time to sell this idea._

"Ok," Jaune began, standing up from the wall. "So the reason we asked you guys to come here tonight is about those inquisitors that attacked us a few days ago. I think we need a plan to get out of Beacon's dorms before something like that can happen again."

Nobody said anything immediately. Everyone was in thought, coming up with something to contribute or finding a reason to reject the idea.

"I agree," Blake spoke up, taking over the stage. "The group that attacked the academy was sent here by, 'The Church of the One,' or, 'The Church.' They are one of the largest religious groups on the planet, second to the Pantheon worshipped on Anima. Recently the Church has been trying to expand its influence across Sanus from the holy city of Grosche. I don't know much about their leadership, but the Archbishop of Vale, who probably sent those guys here, has kidnapped mages and faunus alike, either burning them at the stake or outright killing them because they were thought to be heretics or necromancers. So far, Beacon Academy is one of the few factions other than His Majesty who have been trying to limit their influence in Vale."

Some of the others seemed genuinely concerned about the prospect of another attack. The information dump providing a lot of stuff to go off of. They knew the likelihood of it as well with how ballsy the Church was on their first attempt. Only one of their number, Weiss, however, was indifferent, but she looked to be fuming about something else.

"Ok," Weiss blurted out before anyone else could. "That's good to know. But why does that even matter to you?! You're just going to run off like a coward again at the first sign of danger!" Her voice grew from an average volume to a loud yell. Weiss' tone sounding very antagonistic to the faunus. Blake's eyes narrowed, and her arms dropped to their sides. "Furthermore-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP," Blake loudly interrupted, taking a step towards Weiss.

Blake's expression shifted from neutral to angry, her lips pulling back and showing her teeth. Everyone else stood up and moved back. Weiss balled her fists and marched towards Blake.

"Guys, STOP," Jaune raised his voice to drown the others out. He jammed himself in between Weiss and Blake, not allowing the chance to get at each other's throats. "I don't want to have to be the adult here and put you two in a corner until you calm down!" He looked at Blake first then Weiss. "That wasn't the point of asking you guys to come here! If you two can't behave while we come up with a plan, then I don't see any reason why you should be here!" Jaune glared at Weiss and Blake. The Rogue retreated over to where Sun was standing, giving Weiss a hard glare. Weiss back up over to where Pyrrha stood. His poor Charisma must have had enough of an effect to convince the two women to stop. "Do we have an understanding?!"

"Fine," Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. If Jaune weren't pissed right now, he would have found it to be adorable.

"Ok," Blake said with a tinge of anger in the back of her throat.

Once everyone was calm and back in their spots, Jaune retook the floor. "Now, we need a plan. I say we start taking on quests immediately. Professor Goodwitch said the Questing House will open for first-year students beginning this week. In two days, I want to put together three groups to go out and take contracts." If the group wasn't torn apart by whatever was going on between Blake and Weiss, then it should be easy enough.

The Questing House was where missions from all over Sanus went to. Someone half a continent away could post a notice in the building, and if the amount of coin was right, a hero would take the job. Most contracts are regional and would often be posted in a nearby city and not halfway across the continent, but if the quest was important enough, then the capital was the right place to go. Or somebody like Ozpin would seek out heroes for special missions that were of the highest threat.

Nora raised her hand. "What kind of contracts should we take," she asked.

It wasn't a bad question. Jaune had visited the questing house and gotten a breakdown of the types of contracts. Most were pretty standard quests that consisted of tasks that Jaune and the others could complete.

"There are multiple types of contracts," Jaune began. "Hunting, gathering, extermination, bounty hunting, and just about everything that you can think of." He listed them with his fingers." If it is offered by Beacon, then we can take the quest. There is no limit to how many contracts we can work, but we need to complete ten each semester." Nora nodded and took some notes. The others were silently listening in. "Hunting missions are simple. There is a beast, like a werewolf or a vampire terrorising a village. We go out there, track it, kill it, and bring the head back to show we completed the contract terms." Jaune hoped his explanation was thorough enough.

Yang raised her hand. "What if they don't pay up, and we finished our end?"

"The contract poster has to pay upfront," Jaune answered. "Once the quest is completed, and we show the proof. The contractor will give us a letter to bring back to the questing house so we can receive payment." It wasn't a foolproof system. The poster could still refuse to give recognition for the mission. But people would rarely do that because they would be dealing with a very pissed off hero who could beat the shit out of them. The Beacon would refuse to take any quests from that village or town.

The Questing House was also the only place where you could legally post quests. You were not allowed to post something on a notice board in a village and handle it that way. That lead to fights breaking out between heroes over who took the contract and is supposed to get the award.

"Gathering missions entail the quest taker to go out and find ingredients from plants or animals. Foraging for mushrooms, or scales from a particular monster. Sometimes the task will force you to have to go into a cave to kill a basilisk for one of its eyes." This type of quest was not the most profitable for the amount of work you had to do. Having to hunt a powerful monster for one ingredient and then to only be paid a paltry sum for the job deterred most from this line of work.

"Extermination and hunting missions are pretty much the same. If there is an infestation of wolves or monsters. You go and clear them out. They pay by the head or as a lump sum." By far, the easiest form of work. Go in, kill everything and then go collect your pay. As long as there was someone to point you in the right direction, then you won't have to spend your time tracking.

"Bounty hunting is the most dangerous line of work. Most bounties request you to go hunt bandits or specific people. These are given out by the kingdom itself, and the soldiers usually handle the contract. Bounty hunting is not like monster hunting. People are much more dangerous." Jaune left out the part about what bandits usually do to people. He would try to keep his friends from going on these contracts unless everyone came with.

Bandit camps are generally sparsely distributed across Sanus. In the Kingdom of Vale, there is usually at least one group of bandits per fiefdom or province. Some of these brigand camps can be around five or six people to a few dozens or maybe even a hundred men.

"And finally, we have the miscellaneous quests. These consist of odd jobs such as patrolling a town or helping a village cut down a forest. They're pretty easy and surprisingly pay a lot for how much time they take. You can be given an escort mission, or you might have to act as a courier." Side quests are by far the safest, but most tedious. But there is never an end to the work. Labourers are often short in many villages so they will pay for a helping hand. The sum is usually quite generous if you are building a church or working on a lord's manor.

"Then what do we do after we start questing," Weiss asked. She seemed sceptical about the whole thing still. Her anger also just as present. "You have some sort of grand scheme?"

"What I'm going to do, is go looking for a house in Vale," Jaune replied as he leaned against the front row of desks. "The purpose of the communal dorms is for us to get out of them, right? You don't want to spend all four years in those dorms. I was planning on moving out and into a private room when I started questing, but the attack changed my plans."

"And before anybody decides to move off-campus, we should see how much it is to live at the academy," Ren suggested as he stood up and took over from Jaune. "It may be cheaper to live here, and if we start questing and earning Lien, we will begin levelling up at the same time. Then there might not be a need to move out because we'll be able to adequately defend ourselves." Ren made an excellent point. While Jaune may not have been the strongest, farming quests that were within his comfort zone would level the playing field.

"We also need to put groups together," Jaune announced walking back into the centre. "Three groups of three would be a good idea. I don't want anybody going off by themselves just yet. And having three-person parties would allow us to take on tougher quests."

"I can see sense in this plan," Ren monotonously admitted.

"So you and Nora are in," Jaune asked.

"Yep!" Nora answered for Ren and herself. Ren nodded, showing his agreement.

"Well, Jaune, you do make an excellent case," Pyrrha added in. "While I could adventure by myself. It would be more enjoyable in a group."

That's three; hopefully, the rest would fall into place.

"I'm down," Sun spoke up. That was pretty much a given.

"Sure, why not," Blake asked rhetorically.

"Rubes and I are in," Yang commented. "We talked about it before we got here. And decided to adventure with a group if Ren and Nora wanted to."

Weiss was the final one. Everyone looked at her waiting for an answer. "Fine," she groaned while rolling her eyes. "Don't you think this is kind of cliche?"

"Jaune's the epitome of cliche," Sun quipped. That one burned too.

 _What is it today? Stomp on Jaune's ego day?!_

"Ok," Jaune continued, ignoring the painful burn. "We should decide who works in what groups tonight. Then you can debate on the quests you want."

"We should group people by their strengths and weaknesses," Pyrrha suggested, stepping into the centre of the group. "So who wants to begin with their level and stats?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Jaune concurred. "I'll go first then." Jaune stood up. "I'm a level-fourteen Knight, with my stats teetering towards Intelligence, constitution, and perception. I specialise in monster hunting due to my abilities." Everybody already saw what Jaune could do to monsters. Since he was primarily a monster hunter, those three stats were the most essential for the job and rose the fastest along with his strength.

Pyrrha was up next. "I'm a level-twenty-nine Spartan. My stats are similar, with strength and agility being my best. My worst stats are willpower and Charisma. My class is a hybrid between a spearman and a knight with a focus on combat specific stats. So being paired with a knight or warrior class would be a good idea for me." Jaune had never heard of a Spartan before.

Ruby jumped up onto her desk, sitting next to Jaune. "I'm a level nineteen, reaper," she cheerfully said. "My stats aren't that good by themselves..." She sounded kind of depressed "...but my passive allows me to have amazing agility, perception, and strength when using a scythe." Jaune had read of passives that limit the use of weapons, and Ruby's was limited to using a farming tool. Jaune would have to watch out for her. If her scythe broke, Ruby would be reduced to being a sack of meat that couldn't defend itself.

"Yang stepped next to where Jaune was standing. "I'm a level twenty-four brawler," she confidently announced. "My best stats are strength, constitution, and charisma!" Basically, a knight that doesn't use a sword or a mace. Jaune wondered how she would upgrade her weapons.

Maybe she just needed to buy a better pair of gauntlets?

"Well, I'm a level twenty-six dragon Rogue," Sun announced, popping his knuckles. "My class has all-around great stats, but my Intelligence is lacking. I can't use magic, but I have ranged abilities. So, Pyrrha and I would be good in a group."

 _That's one group down._

"I would be good with Sun and Pyrrha," Blake suggested. "My stats don't really matter right now." Jaune shivered at the apathy in her voice. That and her anti-social nature made her the perfect assassin.

Ren was about to say something but was cut off.

"Ren's a level twenty-seven monk, and I'm a level twenty-eight berserker," Nora energetically butted in. The Monk gave up and let Nora take over. "Monk's are a rogue-warrior class, and berserkers are pure warriors! We both have good Strength, Charisma, and Endurance stats. Neither of us has ranged weapons, so we need to go with a magic-user or Blake." There was group two. Jaune wanted to partner with Weiss, but those two needed her more.

"I'll go with Ren and Nora," Weiss plainly stated. "As long as the two of you can keep any enemies off my back, then I can work with you." Ren nodded and shook Weiss' hand. Nora gave Weiss a bearhug.

Well, that left Jaune with Ruby and... Yang. The teasing shouldn't be too terrible, right? Jaune enjoyed spending time with Ruby, and Yang was always a blast.

"Alright, Muscles," Yang teased as she pulled his left arm in between her breasts. "You're with us!"

Jaune felt like he was about to have a heart attack. Her chest was so soft and squishy! Like two warm pillows wrapped around his arm!

...

Once Jaune got out of Yang's fleshy death grip, he stepped out to get some air. The cool breeze hit Jaune's skin, chilling his body. Sounds of chirping crickets filled the quiet courtyard. The smell of the dew mingling with the short freshly cut grass made Jaune feel invigorated.

It felt good to finally get something started. Putting together a party was the first step in Jaune's ultimate plan. With a little bit of luck, Jaune and his friends could actually build a life here. Only two more days before he could become an actual adventurer.

Jaune heard an almost inaudible shuffle from behind him. He turned to see Blake standing there. Her hood pulled up, and most of her face hidden in shadow. But Jaune noticed the two amber eyes glancing back to him and then the ground.

"Thanks," she muttered.

Now Jaune was confused. He didn't know what he did to deserve probably the first genuinely kind words he ever heard from Blake. It clearly took a lot for her to say them. That's why she had her hood pulled up and wasn't meeting Jaune's eyes.

"For what," Jaune sincerely asked. "I didn't really do anything worth thanking me."

 _Maybe inviting her to join the adventurer's group, but not much else._

"You stepped in during that argument with Weiss," she explained. "Not many people would have stopped a mage and rogue from fighting." She started pacing back and forth. "Almost every warrior-class I've met would watch with complete and utter joy." Blake paused and looked up at him.

Jaune wouldn't have let it happen. He wasn't a shitty person who liked watching people beat each other up for fun. If it was play fighting, then sure. But this was serious. Whatever was going on with Weiss nearly took it too far.

Jaune wanted to probe into the reasons why Weiss went off like that. She was obviously prejudiced towards to Rogue classes, but he didn't know where it was coming from. Again, Jaune didn't know her background, so he needed more information before coming to a conclusion. He didn't want to risk their fledgling relationship by becoming too intrusive.

"Don't worry, we've known each other for a few weeks," Jaune said. "I consider you and Weiss to be my friends. And I don't like seeing my friends fighting for stupid reasons."

"Isn't it a bit early to call us your friends," Blake asked with a perplexed look. "I don't know many people who would just give that much trust out to anybody." Now Jaune's social awkwardness was showing. This is mildly embarrassing.

"Up to this point, I've never really had any friends other than my sisters," Jaune nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Then I met you guys, and we got along. So, I consider you my friends even if I don't know you that well."

"You're serious?" Blake crossed her arms and leaned onto one of the columns.

"Yep," Jaune said, popping the, 'P.'

* * *

Level Fourteen

Strength 28 (+2)

Agility 14 (+1)

Defence 20 ()

Perception 24 ()

Constitution 30 (+1)

Intelligence 35 (+2)

Charisma 18 (+1)

Willpower 12 ()

...

Abilities

Arclight

A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.

...

Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.

Monster Slayer

Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.

Armour and Weapons Smith

Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.

I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. I will slow down the speed of the fic where one chapter might be the lead-up to a fight and the fight itself. I can't let this story move too fast. I want a solid fifty or so chapters before Jaune encounters Salem for the first time


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back!**

 **So this chapter is Jaune and company getting the quests and then setting out on their journey.**

 **I don't really have anything else to put in the author note.**

 **Level Fourteen**

 **Strength 28 (+2)**

 **Agility 14 (+1)**

 **Defence 20 ()**

 **Perception 24 ()**

 **Constitution 30 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 35 (+2)**

 **Charisma 18 (+1)**

 **Willpower 12 ()**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

* * *

"Hurry up, Yang," Ruby shouted as she trudged ahead of the others.

Today was the first day of questing for Beacon Academy's first-year students. The group had agreed to meet at eight in the morning and go to the Questing House as one. Jaune was ecstatic about having his chance to go out and be an actual hero for the first time in his life. However, others were not conveying the same mood that Jaune and Ruby were in.

"Why did we have to go out and do this at eight a.m," Yang whined as she dragged her feet. Weiss was even walking faster than the blonde was, and Yang has the height advantage. Jaune was worried he might have to carry the Brawler if they were ever going to get to the questing house on time. Not that Jaune wouldn't mind, of course. She is pleasantly squishy.

"You're the one who agreed to this," Weiss scolded as she walked at Jaune's side. The Mage's mood wasn't too hot today either. Jaune swore the entire vicinity surrounding her grew ice cold the moment she approached. "I, for one, was not up all night; chatting to some other airhead about boys!"

Weiss' mood had improved somewhat over the last few days. It was better than when the group last met up. After arguing with Blake, Yang said the two were avoiding each other like the plague. They had a good reason for it at least. Jaune would take the opportunity to figure out what was going on with her when the time was right.

"Oh, really," Yang shot back with a suspicious tone. "Hear anything interesting?" The blonde dipped in front of the Mage, blocking her path. "You were totally listening, weren't you?"

"I was not!"

"Ladies-Ladies," Jaune interrupted, getting the two's attention off each other. "You are all equally beautiful. So let's not fight over this!" That snarky remark earned Jaune an elbow to the ribs from Weiss. For how small she is, Weiss can hit pretty hard. Jaune almost had the wind knocked out of him. He was glad Yang didn't decide to deck him.

"Good one," Blake sarcastically commented as she walked past Jaune.

"Yes," Ruby loudly chirped. "This is it guys so come on!" The Reaper ran further ahead to the large building a dozen yards forward. Once she arrived. Ruby began bouncing up and down while waving at the group. Her red cape and skirt fluttered with every leap.

The Questing House was a modestly sized building on the outskirts of the main complex. While still attached to the main building, the house boasted a few merchant stalls outside the questing house and its own inn. The interior resembled a tavern with a kitchen and bar serving rich and delectable foods to any travellers and students wanting to eat out. Quests were given in a small booth closer to the door. At the same time, the amenities were on the far side of the room.

There were not any students over by the questing booth. Most were merely eating or drinking and going about their morning. Jaune expected there to be a line of people waiting for the chance to nab a contract or claim their rewards. Not that it bothered him. Who would complain about not having to wait in line?

"It's... homey," Weiss tried her best to describe the interior of your average Valaen pub. Jaune was sure she had never been inside one before. Must have been unfitting for a rich girl like herself.

"Never been to a pub, Princess," Sun asked as he leaned against a wall. The others were filing into the Questing House one by one with Pyrrha making up the rear. "Every town's got one!"

"Of course not," Weiss replied with a tinge of red on her cheeks as she looked around in confusion. The Mage was clearly out of her league here. "Why would I?"

To Jaune, everything here was ordinary. Barmaids serving drinks, some older students singing something about a recent battle, and the lovely stench of ale on the wind. Past memories of celebrations flooded Jaune's thoughts as he took the sights in. It reminded Jaune of home.

"Don't worry Weiss-cream," Yang teased as she placed both of her hands on the back of her head. "We'll take you to a pub eventually. I want to see you drunk!" That would actually be hilarious to watch. Her Constitution stat was probably very low, and her tolerance for alcohol would have been the same.

"The last thing I want is to be handed enough drinks that I pass out," Weiss replied to the Brawler with arms crossed. "Especially around a mischievous minx such as yourself!"

"Awwwww," Yang cooed. "You know me so well!" She picked up the smaller girl and crushed Weiss into her chest.

Once everyone was inside the building, they made their way over to the desk. There, a beautiful young woman manned the station. Her dark brown eyes brightened up as the students approached. The colour of her hair and eyes matched the gold and brown suit she wore. Jaune noticed the two rabbit ears poking out of the top of her head, occasionally moving in accordance with a sound.

"Hi, welcome to the Questing House," she greeted in an unusual accent while waving to the group. "Are you here to take on a quest or are you looking for information?"

"Questing," Jaune answered as he stepped to the front of the group.

"You are Jaune Arc, am I correct," she asked with an unsure tone. Jaune nodded, and her expression brightened up even more. "I've heard about you and your friends."

That was nice how Jaune was beginning to build himself a reputation. But what kind of status? That was the real question. If he looked like a coward to the rest of the student body, then it wouldn't do. He may have seemed like a somewhat competent soldier to everyone due to slaying vampire, however.

"Anyways," she continued, changing subjects. "The notice board is over here. And If you need any help, my name is Velvet." She cast a polite smile specifically towards Jaune.

 _She's nice..._

Jaune stepped up to the large corkboard. Dozens of quests were posted with various seals stamped onto the parchment. Some quests were small, rewarding one-hundred Lien for the contract. There were a few contracts with payments up to ten-thousand Lien.

He took a quick glance at one of the parchments.

 _ **By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all of its holdings.**_

 _ **The town of Black Dusk has petitioned for assistance. A gryphon has taken roost in the surrounding wilderness. Captain Bertholdt of the town guard is willing to offer support in the capture or the slaying of the beast. The men or women who bring the Captain the head of the monster will be paid a generous sum of four-thousand Lien to be paid from the royal treasury.**_

 _Well... a gryphon is a difficult hunt, and the party needs to be around level twenty-five. But we would have to purchase a ballista to bring it down from the sky. We should focus on something a bit easier for now._

Jaune took a look at another parchment.

 _ **By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all of its holdings.**_

 _ **Sir Hans of White Cliff has petitioned for the assistance of a hero or heroes. Recently the castle under his command was assaulted by an army of undead soldiers. The Lord is unsure of how long he can hold the position until he and his men are forced to flee. Sir Hans is willing to pay a generous sum of eight-thousand lien to any who are capable of ending the threat to his lands.**_

 _Too many variables. It could easily be another lord trying to expand his own lands._

Jaune left that note and examined another parchment.

 _ **By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all of its holdings.**_

 _ **The village of Saexhollow has petitioned for assistance. Goblins have taken up nesting in nearby caves and have been raiding the nearby towns for food, supplies, and even kidnapping women and children. Sheriff Gaston of the local constabulary will reward heroes for the return of any survivors and the heads of the vile creatures. A payment of seven-hundred and fifty Lien will be paid alongside bed and board in the local in for the duration of the contract.**_

"Find one you like," Yang asked as she leaned into Jaune's personal space. The woman's head sitting not even an inch away from his. Jaune could smell a pleasant aroma coming off of her. Lavender or another floral scent.

"I think we should do this one," Jaune suggested as he pulled the third contract off of the board. "The reward is pretty high, and tracking goblins isn't too difficult if you know where to look."

"Really... goblins?"

"What's wrong with goblins," Jaune replied as he read over the fine print.

"Goblins are boring," Yang complained as poured over another contract. "Like we've got werewolves and even a dragon contract here! Why not choose something with a little more pizzazz?"

"Goblins are pests, and supposedly they took people back to their lair during a raid," Jaune explained. "We would be doing a service to the people and saving lives. Werewolves only kill one or two people every few months, and it would be exciting to hunt one. But, goblins will kill dozens and take more back to their nests to be made into food." He hoped Yang would understand what that last part meant.

Bar was lucky enough to avoid having largescale monster attacks such as goblin raids or gryphons. The town didn't have any sort of defences against flying creatures but could easily hold off an assault from the tiny green men. Large walls and plenty of watchmen saw to that. Other smaller villages didn't have the fortune of a bulwark or even a palisade and were at risk of being destroyed by monster attacks.

"Come on, Yang," Ruby joined in. "We're heroes! Our job is to help people! If the goblins have kids in their nests, then I don't want to leave them in there while they get hurt!" The Reaper was much more into the purpose behind being a hero. Ruby was in this to help people. Jaune was in it for more selfish reasons.

"Alright, fine," Yang reluctantly agreed. "So when do we head out?" She leaned against a wall next to the corkboard.

"If we leave now, then we can get to the Saexhollow by this afternoon," Jaune explained as he folded up the parchment and placed it into his satchel.

"Ok team," Ruby cheerfully began. "Mission: Go on our first quest is a go!" She dashed over to the door leaving Yang and Jaune to catch up to her.

The others would be fine without them. All they needed to do was get their quests and come back alive.

 **[Beacon Courtyard]**

Ruby had already vanished by the time Yang and Jaune managed to get out of the Questing House. Jaune suspected the Reaper was grabbing her scythe and the rest of her gear. Then the young girl would pester both of the blondes until they were prepared for the journey. Jaune was already packed, but he didn't know about Yang, yet.

"I think Velvet's got the hots for you," Yang stated completely out of nowhere. She gave Jaune a teasing look as his cheeks flushed a deep red. Jaune tried to look away, hoping the colour would fade.

"Uhh, w-what makes you say that," Jaune stammered. He scratched the back of his head, hoping to somehow dispel the heat rising inside of his cheeks.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Oum, you're so oblivious!"

That was slightly uncalled for. Jaune may have been called oblivious by his sisters before, but he was actually quite observant. Reading someone's behaviour or a monster's behaviour during a fight was proof of that. But Jaune didn't see the telltale signs that Velvet showed any interest in him.

"Mr Arc-Ms Xiao Long," a firm voice called out from behind the blondes. They both turned around to see the ever-stoic Professor Goodwitch standing behind them. Professor Ozpin stood next to his second in command with coffee in hand.

"I see you and your friends are already skipping classes in favour of questing," Ozpin led the discussion before Goodwitch could make any further remarks. The old wizard simply looked at the two with dull eyes as he gripped his coffee mug.

"Uhhh..."

"Yep!" Yang answered for both of them.

"Do not worry. You are not in trouble," Ozpin said with a smirk. "However, I expect all of you to attend lessons in your spare time when you return to the academy." Why did Jaune suspect that? He wasn't opposed to attending lectures because he is a naturally curious person, but his time could be better-spent training.

Yang and Jaune were about to walk off, but Ozpin continued. "And do try not to get yourselves killed. I would hate for your potential to be wasted because of a careless mistake." Jaune wasn't planning on getting killed just yet. Maybe when he was too old to pick up a sword or had to be carried from his bed to the washroom.

Ozpin and Goodwitch left the area, and Jaune and Yang headed in the opposite direction. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't in trouble.

Yang turned to Jaune. "I thought we didn't have to attend lectures if we went on quests," she sharply whispered to the Knight. Now he was in trouble.

"We're only graded on quests but are still expected to attend lectures," Jaune replied in the same harsh whisper. "Besides we have to do a lot more quests to pay for living here anyway."

Yang flicked Jaune on the bridge of his nose. "Owww, what was that for?!" Jaune pinched his nose to stifle the throbbing pain in there. He didn't know what was with women and flicking him in the nose. But so far, Weiss and Yang have been the ones to abuse his beak.

"Not telling me I still have to sit through Professor Port's class!" She crossed her arms and directed her face upwards.

"Doesn't Weiss already lecture us about paying attention in class," Jaune asked with an indignant tone. "I don't want to be the one who has to join her in reminding you that!"

"What do I lecture people about," a voice that only could belong to Weiss called out from behind them. Jaune turned around to see, none other than Weiss escorted by Ren and Nora.

"Having to pay attention in class," Jaune answered. "Someone..." He pointed to Yang. "...didn't know we had to still go to lessons even if we went on quests." Weiss should have known this.

"We still have to go to lectures?!" Nevermind, she did not know about it. Jaune was probably the only one who knew.

...

Jaune finally managed to get away from Yang and Weiss for the moment. He needed to grab his equipment from the locker room. There were also items Jaune had to purchase from Vale before they left as well. Necessary equipment to fight goblins specifically.

Goblins are pack hunting creatures much like humans or wolves. They are not meant to fight alone and can quickly be done away with, in a one on one battle. But when a group of a dozen goblins get together, they can overwhelm a single hero or small village. Their pack mentality makes goblins a formidable foe to heroes that are just starting out.

Most heroes may have some basic knowledge of goblins. Primarily, what they look like and the sounds they make. There is a lot more to goblins than most people realise and that lack of knowledge has gotten people killed. Trolls and goblins, for example, are nocturnal predators, hunting in the dusk and at night under cover of darkness. They also show intelligence and can communicate with one another or to another species. Goblins are even able to strategise and construct ambushes.

They are also a naturally adaptive species, bending the surrounding environment to their will. Some are capable of farming and can generally live peaceful lives away from civilisation. Those goblins, however, are merely an exception to the rule and the rest of their species are bloodthirsty pests. And pests must be culled, so their numbers do not grow out of control.

The general description of a goblin is rather broad, and there can be some misidentification if you encounter a subtype or a similar species. They are small bipedal creatures with short stature, and a hunched over appearance when in their juvenile period. That is the case for the base form of the species, but the subtypes tend to be larger and can stand straight up like a standard biped.

If there are extenuating circumstances, then goblins will leave their juvenile state and grow into a hobgoblin or another version of the imp. 'Hobs' are the warrior caste of the species and are created if there is a need to protect the nest. Hobgoblins are large bipeds that take the look of an engorged goblin. In other words, they are large and fat versions of the standard goblin. Standing well over six feet tall and ranging between seven to nine feet tall. They are also asexual and lack the organs necessary for breeding.

There are other subtypes, but they generally do not appear unless the need arises for it. Most goblins live in isolated groups deep in the wilderness, and they only move towards towns when they have grown in size. Most of their species tend to be in the level one to five range with hobs in the ten to fifteen range.

When a hob appears, the nest moves and they begin raiding villages. Goblins will take anything they can carry from their raids. Be it, gold, jewels, people even. Nothing is sacred to goblins, and they will steal it unless it is bolted to the floor.

Jaune pulled out his breastplate. He repaired the hole in the centre where Min shot him in the chest with a lightning bolt. The patch left a scar in the plate just below his sternum. It would hold for now, and Jaune could just get rid of the armour once he picked up his new set. Goblins wouldn't be able to get through the plate or the under armour he wore.

However, Ruby and Yang did not wear armour. Fighting goblins did not require having to be decked out in full plate, but if one of them got lucky and sliced a tendon, then you were dead. Yang's clothes were at least leather and cloth so they would give some protection from blunt weapons or a few bladed weapons. Ruby, however, would be mincemeat if a goblin managed to get close to her. Jaune would have to keep an eye out on both of them.

While it didn't weigh on his conscience too much. Jaune didn't want to see his friends get hurt. It was his inner older brother starting to show. Ruby and Yang could clearly take care of themselves, but Jaune didn't want to take the chance. Even on a low-level quest like this, the risk of death was there and with goblins being the intelligent creatures they are could surprise and kill the sisters if they weren't paying attention.

Jaune strapped his leather pads to his upper thighs and his shins. His riding boots were still in good condition along with the rest of his armour. The breastplate was the only thing that could really fail on him at the moment. Jaune was safe from almost any attack from goblins at the moment.

He grabbed his steel and silver sword. Jaune wouldn't be using the enchanted sword he found unless absolutely necessary. It was a waste to use something that powerful on an opponent it wasn't needed for. Ira Rubrum and Crocea Mors were still in good condition despite needing to be re-sharpened again. His shield was also in shape with a dent or two along the face.

Strapping the blades to his back, Jaune left his other weapons inside the locker bound in their oil-soaked sheets. Jaune drew both of his swords, making sure they were able to be pulled at a moments notice. He checked his dagger was still strapped to his belt. The small kukri had a knick in the blade but would suffice until he could repair it.

"So, Muscles, are you done checking yourself out," Yang spoke up from behind Jaune. He wasn't sure how long she was standing there, but she must have there for a while. She was dressed in her leather armour and donning her twin gauntlets.

"Yep." Jaune turned around and headed for the door. Ruby was most likely impatiently waiting for the two blondes. "We need to head into Vale and grab something before heading out." Jaune opened the door to the courtyard for Yang. There they found Ruby standing just outside the building with an oversized pack. It was almost laughable how large the backpack was compared to her small frame. The bag made Ruby seem even smaller than she already was.

"Gosh," Ruby scoffed as she walked over to the pair. "Why are guys so slow?!" She stomped like Weiss when she was angry. Or chastising Jaune for something else.

"Why do you have such pinchable cheeks," Jaune retorted as he gave Ruby's cheeks a nice squeeze. The girl's face turned bright red, and she tried to cover it up. Yang began cackling as she started on her little sister as well.

 **[Vale]**

"Ok, so what are we looking for," Ruby bemusedly asked she readjusted her bag.

The trio had finally made their way into downtown Vale again. It wasn't as crowded as Jaune expected it to be, but the market place was still bustling. Merchants were shouting at the bystanders hoping to reel one in for a purchase. While it may have been tempting, Jaune had a specific item or items in mind.

"We need a bottle of alcohol," Jaune answered. "Grain alcohol with a high proof." It might seem unusual to the younger member of their trio, but Jaune knew exactly what he was doing. He was in his element.

"You're not trying to get me drunk again are you," Yang prodded with some minor hope in her voice. "My liver gets enough of a workout from ale. But grain alcohol is a bit much for little old me." While that would indeed be fun to watch her try to drink a bottle of one-hundred ninety proof alcohol, Jaune had another idea for the bottle.

"No, it is not for you to drink Yang," Jaune insisted while pointing directly at Yang. "We're going to use it to kill goblins." A smile stretched across Jaune's face.

"How would we do that," Ruby asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"With high proof alcohol or something like linseed oil," Jaune began. "You can place it into a bottle with a rag soaked in the liquid. When you light that rag and then throw the bottle at say a goblin or an old building, the bottle will shatter and ignite it."

"So, we're lighting the goblins on fire," Yang asked, unsure of Jaune's grand plan. "Why can't we just kill them and be done with it?"

Jaune turned around and began walking backwards. "If this nest is home to what I think is. Then we'll need to use fire to clear out some of the cave."

"And what are you suggesting we'll find in this nest, Fearless Leader," Yang asked again. Jaune wasn't sure where the nickname, 'Fearless Leader,' came from but he wasn't mad enough about it to tell his friends to stop calling him that.

"A hobgoblin or another goblin subtype," he explained. "The fire will cripple it and any other goblins in the vicinity, letting us go in for the kill."

Jaune stopped in front of a large building just off the main square. It resembled the stone, and wattle and daub construction that most other homes in Vale replicated, but this one was larger. Like Alexandre's home, there was a small shack off to the side with a plume of smoke billowing out of the chimney.

The front of the brewery read, "From Dust Till Dawn." And it was the same name as the place Jaune was told to check out, so hopefully, they found it. If Jaune couldn't find a bottle of grain alcohol, then he could settle for the more dangerous linseed oil. It might set his hand on fire if tried to throw a flaming bottle of the stuff at a goblin, but linseed oil is one of the more reactive oxidisers you could find in Vale.

'From Dust Till Dawn' is an odd name for a brewery regardless. There are so many other names that would fit for a brewery besides that. Maybe it was a store that sold Dust before they made it into a brewery?

Jaune pushed the door open and found the shop empty. Yang barged in, and Ruby followed despite Jaune's careful approach. All three of the students stood in the front room until an older man shuffled out from the back.

"Yes, welcome," the old man began in an almost fragile tone of voice. "What can I help you with?" Jaune couldn't tell if the man's eyes were open or not. He was so old Jaune was afraid he might turn into dust while talking to the Knight.

"We need a bottle of spirits with the highest proof you have in stock," Jaune requested as he leaned onto the counter.

"Would one hundred and ninety-five proof suffice," he asked with a slight smile. Jaune could already smell the spirits, and he hasn't even seen the bottle. He drank four shots of one hundred and ninety proof grain alcohol in one night and couldn't remember what happened the next morning. One of his sisters mentioned something about a goat and priest, however.

Jaune nodded, and the old man turned around. "Oscar! Would you be so kind as to get, 'The Spirit of Vale,' from the cellar?" A young man who couldn't have been any older than Ruby ran down the nearby flight of stairs.

"Got it, boss," he shouted as he half-sprinted the rest of the way. There were some minor rummaging sounds below the room and even more footsteps before he returned.

"One bottle of 'The Spirit of Vale!'" The young man who Jaune now knew as Oscar handed the old man the bottle. Oscar looked over at the students and stopped when his eyes turned to Ruby. He had the same stupid look on his face as Jaune did when he first spotted Weiss. "Uhh-uh, I'll get back to work upstairs, boss!" He quickly turned and ran back up the stairs with his tail between his legs.

Yang snorted and whispered into Ruby's ear. "Don't worry Rubes, I'll scare him off if he tries to ask you out." The little girl's cheeks became dusted in a brilliant shade of red as her sister started laughing.

Jaune paid for the spirits and stuck it into his bag. A measly fifteen lien for a bottle of good quality Valish alcohol wasn't too bad. Jaune felt it was a shame to waste such a nice bottle of spirits. It was going to a good cause anyway.

 **[Outside of the brewery]**

"Let me see it," Yang begged as she tried to grab the bottle of spirits from Jaune. The Knight put up his best fight, but the Brawler's immense strength was starting to overcome him. Her Strength stat was probably double his.

"Fine," Jaune sighed. "Just don't drop it!" He gave the bottle to the Brawler so she could satisfy her curiosity. How Ruby was able to deal with her was beyond him. Jaune instead bided his time looking around for a carriage they could hire.

None of them had a horse they could ride. Jaune preferred not walking all the way to Saexhollow, but if they couldn't find someone to give them passage, then that was their only option. Some very sore feet and legs were to be expected by the time they arrived.

Yang took a sniff from the bottle and gagged. "Oh my god! I can't breath!" Ruby and Jaune both gave her quizzical looks as she rubbed her nose. Jaune took the bottle back before she dropped it.

"Oi Laddie," a voice with a robust Valish accent spoke up. "I see you, and these two young lasses are sampling some of our city's fine spirits." Jaune looked over and saw Kaedin loading a crate into the back of his wagon.

Ohhh, it's Kaedin. Jaune looked back at the two confused girls standing next to him. They were blankly staring at the merchant as if he were insane.

"Ruby-Yang," Jaune began. "This is Kaedin, the merchant who gave me a ride to Vale when I decided to come to the academy." The two girls waved at the older man, and he nodded back.

"Actually Kaedin, you wouldn't happen to be going anywhere near Saexhollow anytime soon, Jaune asked the older man. Hopefully, this would be another one of his lucky breaks. Jaune's luck was almost always impeccable.

"That shitehole," he cursed. Jaune gave him a dull look. "Not many merchants are passing through there on account of the goblins." They must have been a massive issue for any merchants to simply avoid that area. "But I am taking provisions to some soldiers guarding a fort in that area. It will be a short trek to Saexhollow from there."

It was better than nothing. Better than walking all the way there.

"We don't have any other options," Jaune conceded. "We'll escort your wagon to the fort for passage to Saexhollow." The students threw their bags into the back of the carriage. Jaune and Yang hopped into the back while Ruby took the reins in the front.

"Laddie, the roads should be deserted, but watch my arse if the soldiers were a bunch of tossers." Ruby snapped the reins, and the horses began trotting ahead.

...

"Jaune, what should we expect with goblins," Yang asked while looking at him. The carriage was passing through a section of unnamed forest west of their destination. The clicking of the wheels against the occasional rock rang out.

Everything so far had been quiet. Some faint monster calls echoed from the Emerald Forest outside of Vale but grew silent as they pushed east. Even the insects had stopped chirping entirely.

Jaune suspected it was due to the presence of an aggressive pest. Larger monsters will leave areas if there is another creature more rapidly devouring the local wildlife. Giant spiders or other megafauna such as the giant rats are the usual cause of dead zones. Considering there were goblins in the area, that must have been the cause. But that would mean the total number of goblins would have grown to dozens or possibly more than fifty.

"Jaune," Yang spoke up, breaking his concentration. "Did you hear what I said?" He could tell Yang was trying to have a serious conversation. Having seven sisters helped Jaune figure out when a girl was trying to actually talk to you. His intelligence also assisted with that matter.

"You've never fought goblins before," he asked with certainty. Yang shook her head as she stared down at the road. "Ok, then. The number one rule when fighting goblins is to never let them surround you. Goblins are fast and will overwhelm you if they have the chance. They like going for the back of the knees with knives or spears, so we need to watch ourselves. If one of us goes down, then we have to grab them and run." Jaune wondered how many heroes had been killed because they were too cocky. He knew his own limits but was unsure if his partners knew theirs.

"What was that goblin you mentioned earlier, the-"

"The Hob," Jaune finished for her. "Larger goblin type, the species' warrior class. If we see it, then you and I will have to take care of it." Brute strength was the only thing that would help fight one of those.

Yang sported a Chesire grin. "So all of that studying with Weiss-cream is paying off?" Jaune knew what she was implying. "You must be getting a lot of work done in there if you're spending all of your free time with her."

Somehow this girl had the strange ability to twist any situation into a joke. It must have been one of her Abilities. Brawlers and Berserkers were very peculiar social animals. Yang could have also been trying to lighten the mood with some humour.

"Yeah, they have more books about monsters than I could imagine. Weiss also points out grimoires so I can work on my magic." Jaune knew what Yang wanted. She wanted a reaction from her teasing. It would have worked earlier today, but Jaune was getting used to it.

Yang pouted, knowing Jaune had figured out her gimmick. "You're no fun!"

"Oi Laddie-Lass, we're coming up on Fort Amber," Kaedin called out from the front of the cart.

Jaune looked over the merchant and Ruby's shoulders to see the large fortress. The castle seemed to be well guarded with about five men on top of the walls. Most forts nowadays had some three troops on the walls along with the local lord and his sons. This castle was no different from the others if a bit larger.

Kaedin took the reins back, and everyone jumped off the carriage. "If you're going into that forest, then watch your arse!"

"Don't worry old man," Yang shouted back him. "We'll throw Muscles here..." She slapped the top of Jaune's back. "...at whatever we come across!" Jaune rolled his eyes and slung his pack over his shoulder. Ruby skipped up next to him, and they headed into the forest.

 **[Saexhollow: Four Hours Later]**

Several hundred yards ahead, large plumes of smoke and ash rose from a clearing. Ruby and Yang broke into a sprint with Jaune following at a moderate pace. He wished the two didn't decide to run off like that. Any number of things could be happening deeper into the forest.

It wouldn't be goblins this late in the afternoon. Dusk hasn't even arrived yet so the monsters would still be inside whatever cave they crawled out of. This area was perfect for goblins anyway. Lots of crags jutting out from beneath the soil that could conceal a nest or the entrance to a cavern.

Jaune caught up to the sisters as fast as his Agility and Endurance would let him. They disappeared behind some trees moments ago, but Jaune managed to break out into a clearing. Ruby and Yang were standing at the edge of a clearing staring at the small village in front of them.

"What happened here?" Ruby looked distraught at the sight of the village.

The small hamlet was nearly burned to the ground. Half of the town was nothing but ash and black smoke. Some shouting could be heard deeper within the village. Jaune grabbed his broadsword in case this was a bandit attack. He strapped his heater shield to his arm as well.

"Follow me, and stay close," Jaune ordered as he walked carefully towards the village.

"Think it could be bandits," Yang asked she stacked up behind Jaune.

"No..."

The trio approached the village from a road. If there were any guards standing watch, it would be better if they didn't see three strangers coming up from the forest. Jaune couldn't see anybody from the road so everyone must have been taking shelter. The women and children would have been placed in the main hall, or the tavern if the town had one.

Why is nobody out here? Maybe if my perception was higher, I could see someone. It was unusual not seeing at least a peasant or two outside. All Jaune could see was smoke and a burning fire.

Jaune raised his shield as an arrow was released. The shaft sang as it flew directly at Jaune before slamming into his shield. Ruby and Yang quickly hid behind him, looking for cover. All three were ready to charge in and slaughter whatever attacked.

"That's far enough." A kid holding a bow and arrow stepped out from behind a wall. He was prepared to loose another bolt at the students. "State your business, then kindly fuck off!" This hunter couldn't have been any older than sixteen.

Several other men holding various farm tools stepped into view. All of them were not soldiers or anybody with combat experience. One was wearing armour, but it seemed fragile and practically handmade. Jaune and his friends would be able to fight their way out of this if it went south.

 _Fucking peasants!_

Jaune grabbed the quest parchment. "I am Jaune Arc," he shouted at the top of his lungs. "This is Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long! We are heroes from Beacon Academy!" He stepped forward holding the paper in his left hand.

"They're heroes!" Someone from their group muttered.

Yang and Ruby followed Jaune while he slowly walked up to the militia. Some of the makeshift soldiers backpedalled away from the heroes as they approached. More out of fear of being killed then taking a defensive position. The sight of what they saw as a knight must have been imposing enough. Not to mention Jaune was furious about being shot at with an arrow again.

"Now, if you would kindly direct me to Gaston," Jaune asked, mimicking the boy's tone. Ho took the nocked arrow away from the kid. "So we can do our job and be on our way!" He snapped the shaft in half and shoved it back into the kid's chest.

"Wow, Jaune's pissed," Yang whispered to Ruby. Jaune heard it even though the sisters weren't trying to be obvious.

...

The heroes were led to the inn. As Jaune suspected, most of the residents were placed on cots or slept on the floor. The tavern was busy as most should have been, but this one was being used as a shelter, so it was unusually packed. Any of the smart villagers should have fled the village when they had the chance.

Some of the kids who were hiding in the inn waved to the heroes as they passed by. Ruby and Yang cheerfully waved back, acting like cliches of their profession. A small girl ran over to Jaune and handed him a flower. He accepted and stuck it inside of a pocket on his chest.

"Already making friends," Yang jested with a smile.

"Sure..."

The man guiding Jaune's party opened a door and ushered them inside. An older soldiering-type stood in the centre of the room leaning over a table. His short grey hair was shaved on the sides, leaving the top combed to the right. He also sported a clean-shaven face with only some minor wrinkling from age.

"You must be heroes," he asked with a gruff tone while looking up at the students. "My name is Gaston, I'm the leader of the local constabulary guarding the area." He stood up and shook Jaune's hand first and then Yang and Ruby's.

"We saw your notice," Jaune opened, sitting down in a chair across from Gaston. "You're village was attacked recently?"

 _More like last night. The embers are still warm. It would be amazing if only a few people got hurt and a miracle if everyone survived._

"Yes, a group of maybe twenty goblins raided the village," Gaston explained. "We managed to kill half of them, but they took some supplies and a child - a young girl." Ruby grew a worried look as she glanced over at Jaune.

"W-Was, anybody, killed?" Ruby sat down next to Jaune. He was afraid she might start to tear up if the unfortunate happened.

"No..." Gaston rubbed his jawline. "...this is the third assault this month. Shockingly the only person we cannot account for was the girl who was taken." Shocking it was. A miracle had somehow happened in this small town. Usually, goblins would have eradicated the entire village. "At least at this village anyway. Other villages haven't been so lucky."

 _What was different about this place?_

"You guys are lucky," Yang stated as she leaned back on a sofa.

"Not really," he countered. "The idiot with the bow outside knocked over a lantern and burned down half the village during the raid last night. We lost our grain stores and the blacksmith's shop as well." Jaune really should have killed him for shooting an arrow at his head.

"And the goblins have taken the last of your supplies," Jaune finished while leaning forwards. Goblins are capable strategists, and if they wanted to starve the people out, then that was the way to do it.

"That's right," Gaston confirmed. "There's an extra hundred gold and whatever you find in their nest if you bring those supplies back. The reward is mainly for the return of the girl, alive or dead, and the goblins."

"What can you tell us about the goblins," Jaune inquired. "Is there a hob among them, how many have you seen, and in which direction did they come from?" Classic questions for any monster hunter.

"Is the ten-foot-tall goblin this, 'hob,' you are talking about..." Jaune nodded. "...then yeah. The most we've seen is about thirty. They were pretty skittish, like most goblins, and ran off when we put up a fight. And they came from the south. Lots of caves in that area. We couldn't track them because we don't have the men with the experience, but you three seem to have some."

"Yeah, I've hunted goblins before, a vampire too," Jaune replied with a smile.

"Vampire?" Gaston raised an eyebrow. "I want to hear that story. But regardless, let me show you where you'll be staying." He stood up and led the students out of the room.

They went up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. The inn was pretty nice for a town this small. The Questing House was more well-kept than this one, but whoever owned it put a lot of money to it. Jaune wouldn't have expected such a delightful tavern in a small town like this. Whatever they were doing for money was working.

Gaston pushed open a door halfway down the hallway. "This is the room we've set up for you. With three people, it might be cramped, but it's comfortable." The room wasn't too bad. It was your average bedroom you would find at an inn. Wooden flooring, a window with curtains, a small fireplace. There was only one bed so that may be an issue.

...

"Alright guys, so what's the plan for tomorrow," Ruby cheerfully asked as she sat down at a table. The Reaper dug into a bowl of stew and munched on her bread with a gleeful look on her face. Somehow she made it look cute.

"At dawn, we'll start tracking the goblins," Jaune answered. "Then we decide what to do when we find them."

"You want to do this at dawn?" Yang looked disappointed with Jaune's plan. Frankly, he wasn't too keen on waking up so early. But monster tracking is done best in the morning or midday. "Like ass early in the morning?"

"Goblins are nocturnal predators," he explained after swallowing a piece of bread. "They return to their nests at dawn and come back out at night to hunt." Every bestiary made this specific mention of the goblin's daily routines.

"Don't they live in caves too, like hermits," Yang asked.

"Yeah, so we'll need to be careful. But when we find them, it should be easy enough to get rid of them. Unless we encounter the hob..."

"And that's where your grain alcohol bomb comes in," Ruby wondered as she munched on her bread.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed with the Reaper. "Yang and I should handle it. You can use Crescent Rose to mop up all of the smaller goblins and get a bunch of Exp from them."

"What about the hob? Won't that give you a lot of Exp?"

"It will," Yang stated. "But killing a few dozen level three or four goblins might give you a level. It's going to have the biggest effect on Jaune since he is the lowest level out of all of us. So he might get two levels."

"How is this going to work out for you," Jaune asked Yang.

"I might get a level, but it gets kind of hard to level up when you reach twenty-four." She made a show of her strength by flexing her biceps. "So long as I get the killing blow, I'll earn the most Exp!"

Levelling is such a fickle concept in this world. It gets harder as you grow in strength. A high-level boss at level ten might seem like a nuisance at level thirty. Then you have to worry about diminishing returns. Smaller prey will no longer become viable as a source for levelling up. You have to continuously hunt bigger and more dangerous creatures to advance. It applies with stuff like forging as well. Making iron daggers will get you up to maybe level five then you will have to move onto steel swords, and eventually you will have to seek out the most exquisite and priceless materials for you to earn Exp.

* * *

 **Jaune Arc is the man of many titles! Lady Killer, Vampire Slayer, and now... GOBLIN SLAYER!**

 **No, I did not take the idea for Jaune to hunt goblins from the anime. Goblins are a basic mob you would expect to find in any RPG. My goblins are more or less based off of the goblins from Oblivion with some minor adaptions.**

 **I'll come back with another chapter next week. I am going back to college so I may have to do one chapter a week instead of three.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think I am starting to get into a really good flow with my writing. It's coming out more naturally.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Holy Shit! This took way too long to write!**

 **I got writers block halfway through this and couldn't think of anything to type up. Then I had classes eating up the rest of my time too! Who knew the jump from thirteen hours to sixteen hours was so much?!**

 **But I digress... it's done and I can go about the rest of my week and finish maybe one or two more chapters by Monday. It's also possible that I will have to only write a single chapter every week if my classwork takes up any more time. So expect there to be sparse updates at times.**

 **Also, I have a poll on my profile page. If you want to vote for whoever Jaune will be partnered up with during initiation in, To Those Who Survived The Fall, go vote, please. Pyrrha is currently in the lead with seven overall votes and Blake is in second with five right now.**

 **This chapter is the lead up to the hunt and the hunt itself. So tracking, and stalking the prey before moving in for the kill.**

 **Also, again. My monsters are largely taken from Slavic or European mythology. I just adapt them to fit within the realm of biology with a magical twist.**

* * *

 **Edit Note (1/15/20): Made several edits across this chapter. Not much in the way of content that I wanted to change. I did change the name of Jaune's new ability. It's a reference to another weapon.**

* * *

Jaune woke up to the fantastic feeling of the sun shining right on his face. The beam of light was coming through the curtains and settled right on his eyes. He sat up and looked around the room his party shared. Jaune's eyes took a second to adjust to the brightness of the morning.

Yang and Ruby were both still sleeping in the bed. It was decided that since Jaune was neither related to the girls nor was he in a relationship, that sisters would share the bed. Jaune obliged them since he preferred to be the gentleman. So the Knight was assigned the ever-so-loved position of sleeping on the floor.

It wasn't all that bad. Jaune had his own sleeping mat. So, he wasn't freezing to death. It had actually been quite comfortable since he didn't have to deal with the clamour of the communal dorms. He was finally able to get a full night's sleep without somebody talking the entire night or being woken up by outrageously loud snoring.

However, the bed in the inn would have been weird to share. Jaune was always used to sleeping by himself. And Jaune had the suspicion that Yang was a rough sleeper who would not be able to stay on her side. Ruby would probably end up cuddling with him by accident and make everything awkward between them.

 _Need to get Yang and Ruby up..._

Right now was the perfect time for tracking goblins since there would be fresh tracks from their own hunting. They would have also fled back to their nests come dawn, leaving the forest relatively safe for the moment. Jaune just needed to find a way to get the sisters out of their bed.

He put on a shirt and walked over to the bedside. "Ruby-Yang, get up," Jaune urged. The only response he got was a mumble from Yang and Ruby sucking on her thumb. Jaune kicked the wooden frame holding the bed up and got nothing. This was going to be harder than Jaune initially thought.

 _Really... am I the only taking this seriously right now? Ugghhh, they must not be used to waking up so early as I am._

Jaune scratched the back of his head, thinking of how he could wake the two up. He was used to fetching his sisters whenever they slept in, but these were two people he barely knew. So, he needed to tread carefully to avoid misunderstandings. All the damage those could do to the still fledgeling friendship they had needed to be avoided.

Jaune looked down at the two sisters again. Both were wearing oddly cut sleeveless shirts. They were not too far off from some of the shirts Jaune made for when he wore his armour. More of the middle section near the neck was missing, which was odd. It must have been a Valaen style he was never exposed to. But Jaune found it to be attractive with the extra show of skin.

His eyes trailed over to Yang. To Jaune, she was probably one of the most stunning people he had ever met. He barely took the time to appreciate her features in the brief period they knew each other. Yang's blonde hair disappeared below the shared blanket. The locks were bright, almost glowing in the light. They were brighter than Jaune's own blonde hair. Her smooth and fair skin, paired with her lilac eyes made her seem like a goddess.

And Ruby... she was adorable. Her short stature, mixed with her bubbly personality, was too cute. For her age, her pale skin, reddish-black hair and those silver eyes made her seem a little older than she was. Had Jaune been around her age then he would have most certainly been attracted to her. She was more like a kid sister to Jaune than a potential romantic partner.

Both girls were leagues beyond anybody back in Bar. At least anybody Jaune knew. He didn't really get out that much unless it came to killing monsters or labour around the town. So, the scope of women he had seen was mainly his sisters or some of the women in his neighbourhood. Not a very thorough view of the other humans or faunus on this planet.

 _Ok, how am I going to do this?_

Jaune needed to get them up and soon. They were burning precious daylight! Jaune didn't want to get caught out in the woods in the middle of the night with goblins running around the forest especially if they had a hob among them. That would be a mess, and Jaune would be stuck cleaning it up.

He looked down at the bed frame. Jaune hooked both of his hands under the side and lifted. His Strength stat was more than enough to allow him to raise the bed like this. Slowly, Yang started to slide over to where Ruby was, and the smaller girl began to go with her.

"What the fuck," Yang yelled as she tumbled out of bed. She tried to grab the mattress on Jaune's side but slipped and fell the rest of the way. Yang landed on Ruby with a very loud, "Oompf," coming from the smaller girl.

"Yang, get off," Ruby wheezed from under her sister. The older girl rolled off of her. Ruby gasped for air in the most dramatic way possible. "God, you're fat!"

 _Oh, boy..._

"I am not," Yang snarled as she balled her fists. Jaune knew where this was going, and it wasn't looking pretty. Fights between siblings were some of the worst because of how hurtful they could be. Jaune had seen some bad fight in his time between his sisters.

"Hey," Jaune raised his voice while clapping. "We need to get moving." He grabbed his armour and strapped everything to his body. Jaune did one last check for any holes that were left open. "Fighting goblins, while it did not require perfection, the hunter needed to show great care in his strategy and the gear he chose..."

"Jeez, you're like a slave-driver," Yang dully commented as she stood up and walked over to where she set her clothes down the previous night. Jaune watched the sashay of her hips before looking away when she turned around.

"I am not," Jaune denied with mock indignation. Yang rolled her eyes and continued putting on her clothes. Jaune tried his best not to stare and found the floor or a nearby wall to be very interesting at the moment. The oak wood floors were finely constructed and very smooth.

"Yeah, couldn't let the girls get some more beauty sleep," Ruby added on as she put on her own clothes.

"If I let you two sleep in, then we wouldn't be going out until the afternoon," Jaune explained. The situation didn't warrant an explanation, and he knew the sisters were messing with him. Jaune was merely making a point.

"Fine," Yang drawled as she buttoned up her leather jacket. "Not like I had a good dream anyway, with Little Miss hogs the blankets over here!" Ruby blew a raspberry. The blonde came over and ruffled the little girl's hair, as Ruby tried to swat at her.

"Ok," Ruby said as she tried to fix her hair. It wasn't too difficult since it was so short. "Let's go, team!" She shot out of the door faster than Jaune or Yang could have hoped to follow. A trail of rose petals followed her out of the room. She must have used one of her Abilities to get a head start on the group.

The two blondes looked at each other and shook their heads. They took after the girl with a slow jog.

Today was going to be an exciting experience.

...

"Ruby, could you slow down," Yang yelled as she and Jaune chased her to the border of the village. Jaune was keeping up, but Yang wasn't doing too well. She was falling behind Jaune, and he was wearing more than thirty pounds of gear.

As the team ran through the town, Jaune made a note of the surroundings. Most of the homes were wattle and daub with thatch rooves. Many villages tended to lean towards this style of constructions due to the inexpensive nature of the building materials. Most of Bar was like this as well. The important buildings such as the town hall or the keep were built from stone or brick to prevent fire damage. The combination of thatch and wood was a poor one mixed with the lantern that burned down most of the village.

Yang took a second to catch her breath. Jaune stopped with her. While his Agility allowed him to get a solid sprint in for half of the town. It could only do so much at its current level. Yang must have had less Agility than he did, or her stamina pool was running low. Jaune's stamina pool was resting at about fifty per cent.

"I hate her Abilities," Yang gasped as she put her hands on the top of her head. Yang's face was bright red, and she was sweating. Her hair was plastered to her bangs. Jaune was about the same if not worse given he was wearing armour.

"Does she always do that," Jaune asked. "Run's off and leaves everyone else behind?" He leaned forward and pressed his hands on his knees.

"Yeah," she answered with a heavy breath. "It's hard to keep track of her whenever she does run off. Half the time I'm trying to watch her back, but I can't keep up when she uses her Ability." Yang must have been really close to her little sister to watch out for her like that. Jaune hoped it wouldn't get in the way of their current quest.

"You just keep watching out for her," Jaune insisted. "I have my own little sisters, so I know what it's like." Yang raised an eyebrow at that.

"How many siblings do you have," she asked with an honest tone. "In total, I guess." She started walking to where Ruby disappeared to, and Jaune followed. It would make up for their lost time trying to track Ruby.

"I have seven sisters," Jaune casually answered as if it was nothing. Yang's face turned into one of horror and disbelief. Jaune couldn't really blame her for it either.

"How is your mother still alive," Yang exclaimed. "I couldn't imagine ever having that many kids! First being pregnant eight times and then having to give birth to all of them! Ugh!" Jaune tried his best to sympathise with her position. Considering he didn't have a vagina nor was he capable of being impregnated, he couldn't exactly give an opinion about it. Unless some weird magical shit happened and then Jaune would be thrown for a loop.

"We had a very dedicated priest and healers," Jaune answered with a chuckle. "My parents also wanted a big family, and they had the means to do so." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "And growing up with that many siblings isn't awful. My mom and dad made time for all of us."

"Your mother must be a saint," Yang stated. "My dad only had to deal with the two of us running around. And when puberty started for me, then Ruby." She chuckled. "Oho let me tell you, Jauney-Boy. My dad went nuts trying to deal with us. Luckily my uncle was around to keep him sane." They had an exciting family dynamic going on. A little more spastic than his own, but then again, Jaune's parents were pros.

"You didn't mention your mother," Jaune carefully and respectfully pointed out. Yang didn't answer for a second and Jaune was afraid he pissed her off.

"No, she answered, more like muttered it. "But..." She went back to her usual upbeat personality. ...that is a story for a different time and place. I need to be really drunk to tell you..."

Drunkenly venting all of your problems and having a good cry... sounds like a Saturday night. Oh, the adventure that is being a teenager. Jaune loved every minute of it.

...

Jaune and Yang eventually found where Ruby had run off to. Thankfully the villagers were cooperative when asked about the whereabouts of a hyperactive and incredibly fast girl. Especially when one of them carried around two swords, and the other looked like she would hang you upside down and shake you until she got her answers. The blondes made for a very intimidating pair when they worked together.

"Hey, guys," Ruby shouted from underneath a large oak tree. She was sitting on a large stump several feet away with her weapon already in hand. The girl was probably waiting for them the entire time Jaune and Yang were looking for her.

"Ruby," Yang angrily shouted and stomped over to her little sister. "What did I say about running off!" Yang stood right in front of Ruby and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.

"But I-" She tried to get something out, but Yang cut her off.

"I said, not to!" Yang leaned in, and Jaune could see her irises shift to red. "And when I say to slow down or stick with the group! You need to listen!" As Yang continued letting loose on her little sister. Ruby ducked her head down with every time Yang raised her voice.

"O-Ok," Ruby quietly agreed and hung her head in shame, clearly discouraged by her older sister going off on her like that. She flipped her hood up and grabbed her scythe.

Yang walked over to where Jaune was. She still had her slightly angry face on. "What's the plan?!" Her tone still had a bite to it as well. Jaune was going to try avoiding saying something that would piss her off.

"Well, Ruby was already waiting for us where we needed to go," Jaune explained. He shot Ruby an approving look without Yang noticing. "Gaston said the goblins came from the south when they last attacked. So let's look around for tracks."

"Any pro tips?" Yang began looking around for footprints.

"Look for any sort of disturbance in the brush," Jaune explained as he got down on one knee. Yang gave him a quizzical look. "Broken branches, or overturned leaves..."

Jaune began sifting through the debris on the forest floor. The villagers kept the wood surrounding their village very clean, and it was easy to pick any tracks. Goblins tend to leave very small footprints, but their weight tends to become an issue. They leave almost invisible tracks on the forest floor unless they wear armour.

Jaune looked up to see Ruby standing about ten feet away from him. Her hood was still pulled down, and she held her head low. The girl wasn't even looking for tracks and was just kicking at the ground with her hands behind her back.

 _Best just to leave her alone for now unless it becomes an issue._

He got back to combing the floor. There wasn't as much activity as he was expecting. No footprints from children or animals nearby. Usually, these forests would be busy areas with lots of traffic, but there was nothing visible here. Jaune stood up and decided to get a broader view of this section of the woods.

There was a game trail about twenty feet ahead for deer or boar probably. Goblins were disorganised and would not think about travelling in single file to cover their numbers. They moved in herds usually spread out across the forest like a giant mass or how a mob of people travel. They wouldn't think of using the trail either and would merely make their own.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby called out to him. She was kneeling over a patch of dirt. One of her hands traced the soil in circles.

"Yeah," he said as he walked over to her.

"Are these goblin tracks?" Jaune looked down to see a perfect footprint in the soil. It may have been a day or two old, but it led directly to the south in the direction of those caves.

 _Well, shit! Half of our work is already done!_

"They are," he confirmed the girl's suspicions. "You can tell by the shape of the print. There are long nails on each of the toes, and they are too disfigured to be a human's." Jaune stood up and dusted himself off. "Good job!"

Thanks," she gave him a light smile and stood up. "So what do we do now? I've never tracked a monster before." Ruby still had her hands behind her back but was looking up to Jaune with an enthusiastic smile.

"It's best to just follow the to footprints," Jaune explained, crouching above the footstep. "See there is another one right here." He pointed out a faint depression in the soil. A toe was visible, but the rest was covered by a leaf.

"That's so cool," she cheerfully exclaimed. Her mood performed a complete one-eighty in a matter of moments. "How did you even see that?!" She leaned forward to get a clearer picture of the track.

"It takes a lot of practice," Jaune told her. "I've been doing this for a while, so I know what to look for." His eyes followed the nearly invisible trail leading deeper into the forest.

 _It looks like a single goblin. That may have been a scout or a straggler._

"Can you teach me how to track," Ruby asked with her same childish smile. She kneeled down next to Jaune. "I want to learn more so I can take quests like this one!" She kept her voice low enough that only Jaune could hear. Ruby must have not wanted Yang to know.

"If I find another monster contract, I'll invite you along," Jaune promised with a smirk. An ear to ear smile across Ruby's lips and she frantically hugged Jaune. The force behind the hug pushed him back a few steps and Jaune had to catch himself before he fell. Guess she must have been more excited than he thought.

"Thank you-thank you-thank you," she excitedly repeated herself. Ruby let go of him and stood up. "Don't worry, Jaune! I'll be the best student ever!" Jaune smiled at how peppy she was. Ruby gave him a salute and ran forward a few steps following the trail.

She stopped after a short jog. "Ummm, where are we going," Ruby asked while scratching the back of her head. Jaune snorted and followed her.

"You're going the right way," Jaune said while pointing at the trail. "There are small depressions in the dirt, see." Jaune kneeled down by the trail again and showed Ruby the tracks.

Ruby continued following the tracks for a few feet. Jaune called Yang over since they found a decent trail. The Brawler hadn't seen anything either, so it was better to just have her on guard duty in case another animal came along.

"I don't know how the fuck you two are seeing these footprints, Jaune," Yang stated for the record as she got down on all fours and literally crawled while looking for this trail. Jaune found her struggle to be very entertaining. "What is this wizardry?!"

"There's no magic involved Yang," Jaune corrected her. "Your Perception is probably lower than ours, and you can't see them." Yang shot him a dull look. Jaune gave her the same expression and pointed at a footprint.

"Oh..."

...

Jaune and company continued to follow the trail. It led them several miles away from the village. The frequency of older and newer goblin footprints increased as they went further and further into the forest. And the terrain was appropriate for caves. Lots of large boulders and rock faces jutted out of the ground.

The area they came to had a waterfall pooling into a large basin. It was one of those classic settings out of a fairytale. The pond was bordered by towering cliffs where several streams converged and dumped rainwater into the bowl. Jaune found it to be eerily beautiful because of how peaceful and untouched the landscape was.

"Ugh, my feet hurt," Yang groaned. She sat down on a large boulder and pulled off her boots. Her feet were looking a bit swollen and raw from all of the walking. "How far are we going to follow the tracks?"

Jaune dropped his bag and sat down on an adjacent rock. "It's not even noon yet, so we have all day," he told her how it was. "Hunting goblins can be tricky because they will travel for miles to raid a village. They tend to have vast territories that can include several neighbouring villages or towns. We could be following a scout."

"S-So, what happens if we don't find the cave," Ruby asked with a worried look. Jaune suspected she would be pressuring herself to succeed the most.

"We go back to the village and pick it up tomorrow," Jaune explained. It was a clear cut situation. Tracking deer or wolves could take days depending on the terrain. Goblins were not too different in this instance. All were prey animals.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby called out to him. He turned around and saw her peering out at the cliffs surrounding the basin. "Do you think this would be a good place for goblins to live?"

 _Why does she ask me that in the most adorable way possible?_ Jaune chuckled to himself as he got behind Ruby.

Jaune looked in the same direction Ruby was. The waterfalls were concealing sections of the surrounding cliffs. The area was clearly untouched and rarely visited since they found no other tracks other than goblins prints. This area actually had a significant volume of the trails too. Maybe Ruby was onto something?

"I-I mean this place has water, and there might be a cave here," Ruby said, unsure of her own words. "I would live here if I was a goblin. It's really pretty." Ruby was correct about the area having a very appealing look to it. Jaune could imagine building a hut on the side of the lake and living here.

It also satisfied the needs of a humanoid species. Water, shelter, and potentially a food source in the surrounding area. The cascade could be concealing an extensive cave system where the goblins could be hiding. It was worth checking out just to make sure nothing was here at least.

"It might be," Jaune suggested, making sure to be as encouraging as possible. "You're starting to get really good at this!" Ruby's eyes widened, and she put on a big smile. Jaune mirrored her own excitement with a grin.

"So should we check it out," she excitedly asked as she ran up to Jaune.

"Might as well since we're here," Jaune replied and grabbed his bag. He checked the contents of the bag to make sure the grain alcohol was intact.

"Alright, break's over," Yang groaned and stood up. She tossed a piece of bread out onto the lake.

"Yang, don't," Jaune tried to stop her, but it was too late. He cringed as the pastry flew from her hand.

Jaune watched the loaf fly for about twenty feet. Once it made contact with the water, the piece sank into the depths. After the bread disappeared from view, bubbles began forming on the surface of the pool. A hand reached out from the depths and grasped onto the shore.

Several other figures pulled themselves out of the pool. Jaune immediately recognised what these were. They were drowners. Jaune estimated there to be twenty of them in total.

Drowners or Drowned Dead were humans or faunus that drowned in a river. That's what the myths tell people and is entirely false. Drowners are an amphibious egg-laying humanoid species that inhabit the waterways of Remnant. Considered trash-tier opponents, having a lower level than even goblins, drowners are a farming source for Exp. Young adventurers typically go out and hunt them to get their levels up to at least five or six and then move onto higher level monsters. And there is a seemingly endless supply of drowners, so they are very popular and usually need to be culled.

The drowners all turned and looked in the party's direction. Twenty sets of frog-like eyes all stared at them. The biggest drowner with a reddish hue to its skin, most likely the bull, hissed and began making guttural noises with its throat. The rest of the pod started emulating their alpha.

"Son of a bitch," Yang cursed as she dropped her bag. "Sorry, guys." She was sincere about it, and that's all that mattered. The drowners would have come out of the water anyways once the party passed by the lake.

Jaune dropped his gear and unsheathed Ira Rubrum. "Ok, I'll stun them, and then we charge in," he explained as Ruby and Yang stood on his left and right. A bright yellow ball pooled in Jaune's left hand and dispersed with a brilliant flash of light.

Yang bolted forward and slammed her fist into the first drowner she found, tearing the flesh off the monster's chest with her gauntlet's knuckles. Ruby followed up and sliced two of the monsters in half, causing a cascade of blood to spill into the air. Jaune brought up the rear and shield charged the bulk of the drowners. Bones broke as the metal wall slammed into them.

Jaune ducked under a swipe from one drowner and shield bashed two others. He spun around and sliced the head off another one. Ruby swooped by and killed the two Jaune laid out on the ground. Most of the drowners had yet to recover from Jaune's debuff and were still flailing their arms in the hope they could hit something.

One of the drowners grabbed Jaune's arm and wrapped its jaws around it. The jaws didn't break or even pierce the vambrace protecting his forearm. Jaune yanked his arm out of the drowner's mouth and hit the monster with the edge of his shield. The blow caved the amphibian's skull in and gave Jaune a small portion of Exp.

Jaune pushed back another drowner. He entered the Ochs guard stance and thrust through the drowner's heart, effectively making the creature a shishkabob. The beast let out a bellow as the silver burned its insides.

Another jumped on Jaune's back when he wasn't looking and began clawing at Jaune's head. His defence stat prevented actual damage due to the drowner's low level, but it still hurt like hell. The claws were slashing across his skin, and the drowner's palms were covering Jaune's eyes, preventing him from seeing anything.

Yang grabbed the drowner of his back and slammed it on its head. A loud snap erupted from its neck, and the drowner stopped moving.

"Ahhhh it's broken," Yang whined as she kicked the drowner she just body slammed. She put her hands behind her back and gave Jaune an innocent pout. Jaune snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Ok, note to self," Jaune began while looking at Yang. "Let's never throw bread in the water!" Yang threw him a dull look and Ruby nodded.

"Like I knew that was going to happen," Yang replied with a hint of indignation. She crossed her arms and glared at Jaune, but he just ignored it.

"I know," Jaune conceded. "But we have to learn from it! Monster hunting requires you to learn from every encounter and develop your technique. So now you know to never throw food into the woods or the water." Ruby listened like she was being tutored by a master. Yang sat there and watched with a bored look on her face.

"Did you steal that from Professor Port," Yang sceptically asked. That damnable smirk crept across her lips. "Because that sounds a lot like something he would say!" She stood there, waiting for an answer.

Jaune decided to give her the truth. "Yang, have we learned anything in that class," he asked in response. She shook her head.

"No," she chuckled. "The most I've seen is a vampire beating the crap out of you." She ended her tease with a smile. Jaune gave her a dull look in return. It was true, and that's the reason why it was bothersome.

"It was fun watching that demonstration," Ruby meekly added on.

 _Not fun when you're the one getting thrown into a wall._

They fell into an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"OK," Yang abruptly ended the silence. "So if there are no more angry fish-people trying to eat us then we should get a move on! Yes?" Nice to see that Yang was taking this seriously now.

...

While Yang checked on the west side of the waterfalls, Jaune and Ruby checked the east side. There were goblin trails all over this place, meaning they either scouted this area or this may have been an old nest. It was difficult to tell if it was the former, the ladder, or anything considering how the trails were mixed between old and new. Any other signs may have been washed away by the cascade of recent rainstorms.

Jaune checked his levels to see what he gained since they weren't exactly on top of the goblins. _Ok, I am a six-eighths of the way to getting another level. I was already halfway there. Great. This fight wasn't even worth the effort._ Those drowners were all level ones and twos. Jaune could have farmed all day long, and maybe he would have gotten a level from fighting drowners. The issue was trying to find the damn things because baiting them could only do so much.

"Jaune," Ruby meekly called out to him. "Couldn't we set bait out for the goblins like the drowners?"

"Goblins are too smart for that," Jaune replied. "They would see the bait from a mile away and just avoid it." Ruby turned away in embarrassment. "But, if we found their lair, then we could set up bait inside the cave and lure them into a trap."

"We could use a drowner body for that," she suggested with a big smile. "They really stink, and I heard that trappers use rotten foods to lure in crocodiles or really big fish!"

"What I was thinking, exactly," Jaune exclaimed to Ruby's excitement. "You might be natural at this!" He turned around to face the cliff.

Frankly, Jaune wasn't sure where to start. Any obvious path behind the waterfall was either inaccessible from their current position or concealed. There was a lot of plant material in the way as well. Vines and roots from trees were covering most of the rock face.

"Ruby use your scythe to clear some of the vines," Jaune asked while unsheathed Crocea Mors. "I want to see if we can make a path."

"O-Ok," she stammered for a moment and recovered. Ruby swung her scythe and cut down a row of vines. She struck again, and another section of the overgrowth fell. Jaune could barely register her swipes because of how fast they were. It was like a blinding flash of silver, and a row of vegetation fell. Her passive must have made her a deceptively, powerful opponent.

Jaune didn't get a good look at how Ruby fought during the skirmish with the drowners but seeing her now. He knew precisely why the fight was so short. Her Agility stat must have been off the charts.

As the plant material fell, Jaune could make out what looked like a cavern on the other side of the hedge. Jaune pulled on the whole of the wall and tossed the growth aside. He looked around and spotted something.

"Jaune, what's that," Ruby asked as she pointed to a marker of sorts.

The marker was an obvious goblin totem. Goblins mark their territory using makeshift crests or actual flags if they stole one. This totem was a stick with an old pelvis tied to it. The pelvis belonged to a human male.

That meant the goblins hadn't used the girl yet as materials or they had not moved her corpse from the cave. Totems are only used on active nests or camps. If this nest had been cleared out before, the previous adventurer should have destroyed the emblem as a warning to the goblins and a way to tell other heroes they shouldn't have to worry about this camp.

"Goblin totem," Jaune answered with excitement in the back of his throat. Jaune could barely hold it back. "There's an active nest here!"

...

All three of the heroes were staring into the belly of the cave. Jaune laid out some equipment that would be necessary for hunting inside of a cavern. Some torches and chalk were the essential tools for this hunt. Even if they brought a faunus along, such as Blake, her night vision wouldn't work in total darkness. You needed a torch or an Ability to even have a chance.

"How should we play this," Yang asked as she dropped her bag. "I say, Jaune and I in the front. Ruby, cover our flanks, and we'll rotate." Basic rotation style formation. It would work better with more people and more shields, but they would have to work with what they have.

"I agree," Jaune said with a nod. "But we'll have to be careful. Sometimes caves have tunnels coming off of the main path. Anything could be hiding in there, so keep your eyes open and move slowly. Watch your back!" Yang and Ruby both nodded in confirmation.

"What about bait," Ruby asked.

Yang took Crocea Mors out of Jaune's hand and walked over to one of the drowner corpses. She kneeled and grabbed an arm. One cut with the sword and the forearm was separated at the elbow. Yang held the freshly dismembered arm away from herself and tried her best not to gag.

Yang walked over to Jaune and put the arm in his satchel. "Sorry, Jaune," she said, patting him on the shoulder. Ruby was pinching her nose, trying not to smell the stench coming from Jaune.

"Don't worry, I'm used to the smell," Jaune said with a disgusted look on his face. He swiped Crocea Mors to get the blood off it before sheathing the blade.

Jaune stepped up to the entrance of the cave. Yang got behind him, and Ruby made up the rear. The Brawler struck a dagger to a piece of flint and lit the torches. Jaune took one in his left hand, and the other heroes each grabbed one.

...

They began their descent into the cave. Jaune held Ira Rubrum in his right hand and prepared to thrust at anything that was around the height of a goblin. He especially watched the shadows created by the torchlight. Making sure to check every nook and cranny for a possible ambush.

This cavern was a basic limestone karst cave. Large stalagmites and stalactites interjected throughout the path and covered the flanks of the tunnel. Every surface of the interior had a light beige colour that was pronounced even greater by the torchlight.

Jaune couldn't make out any signs of life inside the cave. There were some rat bones scattered about, but so far there was nothing. Echoes were originating from further into the cavern. It sounded like water droplets or possibly a stream.

Something shuffled behind the party, causing them to freeze. Footsteps fast approached. Yang shoved Ruby out of the way and slammed her fist into the creature. The goblin was knocked onto the ground, stunned by the force of the blow.

"Gotcha, you little bastard," Yang said with a tone of confidence. She stomped the goblin's skull in with a sickening crunch. Its brain matter oozed out of the side of its head as her foot came down on it.

"Thanks," Ruby whispered as she picked up her torch.

"No problem, Sis," Yang responded.

Another set of goblins came out of an adjacent tunnel. Ruby swung her scythe in a flash of blinding silver. The three creatures that attempted the ambush were quickly severed in two with a geyser of blood raining down from the ceiling of the cave. Wet splatters filled the air as they bodies slapped into the floor.

One of the goblin body parts smacked Yang in the face. It was an especially bloody one that covered her whole upper body in the blood. Yang stood there for a moment looking like she was about to scream. Her hair was soaked in the crimson liquid and dripped off of her like a wet towel.

"Ruby, when we get out of here, I'm going to kill you," Yang threatened, wiping her face with a rag. Her eyes flashed red and glowed in the darkness. The little girl hid behind Jaune for protection. Like that was going to save her.

"You can wash up later, Yang," Jaune interjected. "Plus the goblin blood will help mask your scent." He bent down and soaked a rag in the liquid. Jaune coated himself with the lifeblood and turned to Ruby. The girl's eyes widened as she knew what was coming.

"Don't you dare," Ruby cried as she held her scythe up in defence. Jaune didn't listen and wiped her down with the rag. Ruby did her best not to throw up and gasped as Jaune pressed the cloth onto her head.

"Ew-ew-ew-ew-ew-ew," Ruby whined as she frantically waved her arms up and down. "It's so gross!" Ruby stood there covered in blood. Holding her hands away from her body as to not get any on them. Her face was halfway between one that looked like she was about to throw up and one that looked like she was going to sneeze.

...

"You so owe me after this," Ruby harshly whispered from the back. Jaune was willing to pay that debt too. Again if he could see the priceless look on her face.

"Quit your whining," Jaune whispered in response. He suddenly stopped, and the rest of the group stopped with him. Jaune set his torch down and stepped to the side.

They were at the entrance to another opening in the cave. Most of the passage was merely tunnels with the occasional goblin lying in wait. But there was a cacophony of snoring and mumbling coming from the chamber up ahead.

 _The nest is up here. It has to be!_

Jaune heard another shuffle from behind the party. Without warning, he unsheathed his kukri and tackled the approaching beast. Jaune clasped his hand over the monster's mouth, silencing any screams. With a single downwards stab, he smashed through the ribcage and into the goblin's heart.

"Damn, Jaune," Yang whispered as she watched him wipe his dagger off onto the goblin's loincloth. "What did he do to you?!"

"Shhh," Jaune uttered as he crouch walked up the opening again. He grabbed a torch and tossed it to the far side of the cave. Dozens of goblins were resting in this room, including the hob.

That fat bastard was laying on top of a pile of straw, sleeping comfortably without any knowledge of the party's approach. Once he was eliminated, the rest of the hunt would go smoothly. However, he wouldn't go down if set on fire. It would thrash around and probably be even more pissed off at them.

Jaune was glad they found the nest before they could multiply even further. From what Jaune could see there were maybe forty or so in total. If the nest had been left any longer, there might have been a hundred, and the goblins would have swarmed the neighbouring villages and possibly the castle.

Jaune nodded to Ruby and then to Yang. He pulled the grain alcohol out of his bag and stuck a cloth soaked in alcohol inside. Jaune handed the drowner arm to Yang.

"Ok, when Yang tosses the bait," Jaune whispered the plan to the sisters. "I'll wait until they take it and then throw the bomb at them. Then we charge in after I use my Arclight." The sisters nodded, showing they understood.

Yang threw an overhanded toss into the centre of the chamber. Several goblins sniffed and stood up at the same time. Chattering from the others soon erupted into frantic shouting as they crowded around the bait. The hob stood up and lumbered over to see what was going on.

Jaune lit the fuse and chucked the bomb into the centre of the crowd. It exploded into a bright blue flame that burned more than half of the goblins. The room was illuminated by the fire, and the goblin's shadows danced across the walls as they clambered for their weapons.

"Now," Jaune shouted as he cast Arclight.

Ruby ran, more like flew, across the room in a bright red whirlwind. Her scythe cleaved through the remaining goblins, cutting down five or six with a single swing. Rose petals softly fell behind her as she continued to distract the smaller mobs.

The hob noticed the attack and lumbered over to the girl. It swung its club once, but Ruby dove to the side. Her Agility and Perception stats were more than sufficient at keeping herself out of the hob's reach. Ruby backpedalled to a safe distance and continued her slaughter of the normal goblins.

Jaune and Yang bolted forward, charging the hob from the side. The Hob replied with its club, swinging from right to left at the pair. Yang ducked under it, avoiding the bludgeon with ease. Jaune, however, took the full force on the face of his shield. The momentum from behind the hit forced him to take a knee to gain leverage over his opponent. Jaune's defence held up, and he was able to hold the club back.

Yang slammed her fist into the abdomen of the hob. The force behind the punch forced the goblin to throw up the contents of its stomach. Jaune was able to get out from underneath the club and rushed forward to assist Yang.

The hob swung again in a sweeping motion. Yang hopped over, but Jaune was forced to block the attack. It pushed him to take a step back in recoil from the momentum. Holy shit! They hit hard! He dropped the dented shield as it was too damaged to continue using. The metal face was nearly bent in half.

His Aura was only down at around seventy per cent. He could take a few more hits from the club until it started to do actual damage to his body. Jaune wanted to end the fight before he could get there, however. He rushed forward again while the hob was distracted. Jaune needed to thrust Ira Rubrum under the rib cage and into the heart. It was the fastest way to bring it down without trying to decapitate it.

He yelled as he rushed forward with his sword in the plough guard stance. Yang was tossed to the side and over Jaune's head. The hob must have been around her level to be able to throw her like that. Higher than Jaune initially thought it would be.

Jaune thrust his blade, but the hob caught it in its hand. The skin grasping the sword sizzled and burned as the silver did its work. The goblin yanked the sword out of Jaune's hand and threw it away from him. The blade clanked as it landed on the far side of the room.

It swung its club down again, but Jaune rolled to the side. The hob overcompensated and stumbled. Jaune took the opportunity and dove behind the hob.

Before the hob could stand, Jaune climbed onto its back. He wrapped his arms around the goblin's neck and began squeezing on the joint. One of his forearms was secured under the goblin's chin, and the other was bracing the head itself.

Jaune yelled as he continued putting pressure on the hob. The goblin thrashed around, making gurgling noises as its airway had been cut off. It stumbled backwards and slammed Jaune into a wall. That cut Jaune's Aura down to fifty per cent.

Jaune fell off the hob's back. His grip loosened up when he was slammed into the wall. His feet hit the floor but refused to carry him. The hob whipped around and kicked him in the face forcing Jaune onto his back.

The hob grabbed its club and swung it downward. Jaune narrowly avoided it, rolling to the side as it came down. The goblin backpedalled and stomped on Jaune's chest. The breastplate buckled inwards, and Jaune felt all of the air leave his lungs. A spatter of blood rocketed out from Jaune's mouth as he shouted in pain.

Yang bumrushed the hob from behind and tackled it to the floor. She brought both of her fists down simultaneously cracking something inside the hob's chest. Yang continued beating down on the hob, shouting, "YOU MONSTER!" Her eyes burned a deep crimson as she laid down a flurry of blows. She lost all control of herself.

The hob cocked its fist back and threw it at Yang's face. She seemed to take it the first time and the second and the third. On the fourth, Jaune heard what sounded like metal on metal clanging. He managed to pull himself up to see the hob's fist encased in metal.

It slammed that fist into Yang's face, and she was thrown away from the hob. Yang rolled several feet away before she stopped moving. The Brawler lay there, seemingly unconscious. The hob stood up and lumbered over to her body.

Something snapped inside of Jaune. A burning pain ripped through his broken body. He grasped at whatever he could and pulled himself to his feet. The air around him seemed to shudder as he rose. He didn't care about how much Aura he had left. Jaune wanted the hob dead.

Jaune bolted forward and slammed into the hob from behind. The hob stumbled and Jaune lept onto the goblin's back. He elbowed the hob on the back of the head and wrapped his arms around its neck. Jaune crushed the joint like a vice-grip. He was going to snap its neck.

The hob began flailing about. His arms slammed into unsuspecting goblins, killing them instantly. The hob landed several blows onto Jaune's sides and his back knocking his Aura down even further. He ignored everything, focusing on the task at hand.

Jaune squeezed down even harder. He summoned every ounce of strength he possessed to kill this single goblin. The hob continued to gurgle and sputter as Jaune constricted his throat.

 _Come on! You're dead!_

Yang ran forward, holding Jaune's sword in hand. She cut across the abdomen of the hob. The contents of its abdominal cavity spilt out onto the floor. Yang went for a thrust through the upper thigh, severing an artery. Jaune squeezed even harder as the hob took a knee.

"AHHHHHHHHHH," Jaune screamed as he pulled back with all of his might. The hob punched him in the face three times. Jaune pulled back even harder. "COME ON! COME ON, COME ON!" Jaune spat some blood out of his mouth as he screamed again. It felt like both of his arms were about to snap like twigs.

Jaune wretched the neck to the side and broke it. He and the body fell forward and slammed into the floor. Jaune rolled off to the side and onto his back. He looked up at the ceiling as everything rushed to a sudden end.

Then the rush of Exp hit him like a tsunami. Two and half whole levels from one kill. Jaune felt a warm euphoria cross over him as his stats jumped with his level. He felt stronger and a pang of hunger for more power. Jaune wanted more. He needed more. It felt like an addiction taking over for only a moment.

With the new levels came a unique Ability. Jaune closed his eyes and read the description of it.

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

"JAUNE," Yang shouted as she rushed over to him. Ruby ran over to his other side. The blonde cradled his head in her lap as Ruby fetched something from her bag.

Ruby uncorked a bottle from and held it to Jaune's mouth. "Here, drink this," she begged. Jaune grabbed Ruby's hand and gently pushed it to the side.

"I'm fine," Jaune reassured the girls as more blood spilt out of Jaune's mouth. "Save it for later." He stood up with Yang's help, and she let him use her as a crutch. Jaune clutched his sides in pain. He had broken a rib or two during his feat of strength.

The group stopped when another sound echoed throughout the room. It sounded like a cry. Ruby grabbed a torch and made her way to where it came from. Jaune was ready to kill whatever was hiding in the cave.

A small wooden door muffled the sounds. Jaune brandished Ira Rubrum and entered the plough guard stance. Yang braced herself just behind him. Ruby nodded to both of them and pulled the door open. Jaune held his breath, ready for the threat to be revealed.

On the other side was a small girl. Two amber eyes peered out at the party. Ruby shined the torchlight into the hole, granting them a better view. Jaune could make out two cat ears jutting out from the top of her head. Her cheeks were dotted with small freckles accompanying her red hair.

"It's a girl," Ruby stated the obvious. "Come on, let's get her out of here!" She bent down and offered her hand to the girl. The faunus pulled back and tried to hide farther inside the antechamber.

 _I can't imagine what she's been through._

"Here let me," Jaune took over. He handed his sword to Yang.

 _Time to work my charm._

Jaune kneeled down in front of the girl. "Hey," he said with a warm tone, reaching into his pocket. The girl jumped and tried to hide again. He didn't want to move too fast and terrify the girl. Jaune slowly pulled out what he was looking for.

It was the small daisy, a village girl handed him yesterday. Jaune offered it to the faunus girl, and she reluctantly took it. "My name is Jaune," he began, hoping to calm the girl down. "What's yours?"

"B-Brianna," she quietly answered him.

 _Damn, she looks rough. Her nose is broken, and she's got cuts all over her._

"Ok, Brianna," Jaune emphasised her name. "We're heroes. We were sent to find you and to kill the monsters that took you away."

"A-Are they all gone," she asked with fear in her voice.

"Yes," Jaune gave her the answer she was looking for. "I killed them with my bare hands." Jaune's tone grew dark as he held out his hand.

"Ok..." She crawled out of the hole and tried to stand up. Her legs proved to be too weak, and she collapsed. Jaune caught her before she hit the floor and helped her up.

"Here," Yang said as she handed Jaune a sheet she found somewhere in the cave. Jaune wrapped her in it and picked her up despite the pain he was in.

"Try to rest, okay," Jaune asked Brianna as she curled up into his chest. "I'll handle the rest from here."

...

Jaune brought the girl into a makeshift infirmary. Saexhollow managed to get some relief from the local lord in the way of supplies and manpower. Luckily they sent a medic as well along with the other craftsmen and soldiers. The villagers were actually making decent progress with the cleanup and were already setting up their smithy again.

"You sure she's gonna be alright in here," Jaune asked Gaston as he closed the door behind them. Brianna slept the entire way on the journey back to the village.

"The healer will do what he can," he gave a brief reply. "He'll get her stabilised, and when Bri gets some food in her, we'll take her to the capital so she can see a proper doctor."

Jaune nodded. "Sorry about the supplies by the way. Everything was gone by the time we got there."

"Don't worry," Gaston played it down. "With the next resupply coming in and the forests now safe, we can recoup our losses in no time. Your party can take the carriage heading back to the capital if you want." There was no point in staying in the village any longer. It was only a little past noon.

"Take care of her," Jaune ordered with a demanding tone.

Jaune made his way out of the hut. Ruby and Yang were already waiting outside for him. Both of the girls waved at him as he walked over to the carriage.

"Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor," Yang asked. "You kind of look like you went twelve rounds with me." Now Jaune needed to look in a mirror. His looks were one of the few things going for him.

"I just need some sleep," Jaune stated. He stretched his arms, and several joints popped all at once. And then his ribs started hurting again.

He hopped into the back of the carriage with Yang. Ruby took the reins with the driver again. The blonde brawler leaned against him and quickly nodded off.

"Ugghhh," Jaune groaned as he settled down and leaned his head back. Sleep quickly took over shortly after.

* * *

 **Edit Note: Due to a recommendation, I changed the ending of this chapter a bit. I also added some more onto the fight with the hob.**

 **Quest number one is completed, Jaune is even more of a badass and is now a solid level seventeen. We'll pick the story next week with the group's return to Beacon.**

 **Also, assume the hobgoblin was around level twenty-four - twenty-nineish. That's the reason why it gave them so much trouble.**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

* * *

 **Next Update: Whenever I get it done!**


	10. Chapter 10

**This was by far one of my quickest chapters. I got nearly three-thousand words done on Monday morning! The rest of it came out during Tuesday and Wednesday. Today I just edited and added the author notes.**

 **This chapter deals with Jaune having to lick his wounds and setting up some scenes for the next chapter. This is also the real beginning of Weiss and Jaune's romance that will play out over the course of the story.**

 **Also, there is still a poll on my profile page. Please go vote for which character should be partnered up with Jaune in, To Those Who Survived The Fall. This does not determine the ship, but the partners at Beacon Academy.**

* * *

"Jaune," a voice called out to him, stirring the knight from his sleep. He looked over to see Ren standing next to his bed, wearing his usual green and white combat gear. Several other students were meandering about the communal dorms in the background. Everyone wore a tired-looking face.

"Are you alright," Ren monotonously asked clearly concerned about Jaune. He wasn't sure what was the cause of said concern. Jaune wasn't sure what time it was either. He was still in his combat gear and covered in blood.

 _Great..._

What Jaune remembered was coming back to the academy and immediately going to the dorms. After that... Jaune wasn't sure; everything went black. He didn't even bother to pick up the reward for the contract. Jaune was just so tired from the fight yesterday. He took a nap on the carriage ride back to Vale, and that didn't seem to work for him.

Jaune tried to sit up, but the rush of an aching pain ripped through him. It felt like he had been run through a meat grinder. His ribs were screaming at him from three or four locations, and his head throbbed something awful. Jaune's Aura was still down; it hadn't regenerated to its full capacity, resting at twenty per cent.

 _God damn... This is what an actual injury feels like! That hobgoblin must have been a level twenty-eight or twenty-nine. No wonder I gained three levels yesterday. But I don't think the cost was worth it._ Jaune had the sudden urged to vomit but managed to keep it down.

"Yeah," Jaune groaned as he tried to stand up. His legs were feeling the burn too. "What time is it?" Hopefully, it wasn't too late, and Jaune wasn't missing any lessons. Goodwitch would be pissed but considering Jaune felt like hammered shit; he might be able to get out of them.

"Six in the morning," Ren answered him in the same monotonous tone. "I figured you might have wanted to get up early. You came back to the dorms at around seven last night covered in blood and, frankly, smelling like sewage. Then you passed out on your bunk."

 _Ok, so that's what happened._

Jaune needed to get a shower. All the grime from the goblin blood and the dirt was caked to his body. He actually smelled like a drowner which was not an appealing concept for him. His armour smelled even worse. Several of the nearby bunkbeds had been moved away from the one he and Ren shared.

"But, are sure you're alright," Ren asked again. Some of the other students were looking at Jaune like he was a monster or the town drunk singing at the top of his lungs. "You look like you lost a fight with a bear." Jaune felt like it too.

"I fought a hobgoblin yesterday," Jaune corrected with some excitement hidden beneath the wince he put on. "Must have been around Pyrrha's level, but I managed to kill it. He threw me around a little and knocked Yang out cold."

 _That reminds me, I need to check on Yang when I get the chance. She was pretty exhausted yesterday after the fight. And she took that hit from the hob's Ability._

Jaune stood up, taking a moment to get his balance. Everything was spinning, and Jaune was feeling pretty nauseous. He probably received a concussion when the hob punched him in the face. His nose wasn't broken, which was great. But Jaune was sure he broke several ribs when he was stomped on by the hob.

"You might want to head to the infirmary," Ren suggested, putting on his boots. "Some of those wounds may get infected if you don't see a healer or get them cleaned out."

 _I'll do that later, probably after class. I can drink a healing potion now so I can recover my Aura._

Jaune grabbed his remaining gear that remained on his bed. When he glanced down at the mattress, it was all bloody with fresh and dried blood staining the sheets.

 _I hope there is somebody that gets paid to clean this up._

He left the main dorms to head to the showers. Whatever students that were up all stared at Jaune as he passed by, they must not have been used to seeing a man covered in goblin blood. Hopefully, he could get the blood out of his armour at least. It smelled pretty bad.

Jaune was lucky enough to get his armour cleaned when he got shot with an arrow. He just washed it in a basin and got the majority of the stains out. Luckily he had an extra set of clothes so he could clean his trousers and shirt too now they were covered in grime.

...

Jaune limped into the locker rooms which were adjacent to the showers. Nobody else was in here, so that was great. It would make it less awkward for Jaune since nobody would be staring at the blood-soaked human walking around.

His breastplate hit the floor with a loud thud followed by his vambraces and spaulders. Jaune gave out a loud groan as he took his gambeson off. The jacket required him to do some creative flexibility exercises with his body so he could remove it — the cloth armour slid down his arms and onto the tile floor.

Jaune pulled his shirt over his head. He gave out a deep groan/half-wheeze as it came off. Once removed, the shirt was tossed into his locker. The mirror inside the container allowed him to get a look at himself. Frankly, it wasn't a good one.

Half of Jaune's face was bruised on its right side. The right eye was inflamed. The inflammation didn't obstruct his vision, so that was good. There were large cuts on the bridge of his nose and one just above his right eyebrow. They were beginning to scab over but still looked pretty nasty.

 _Damn... Why doesn't it hurt? He ran his fingers along the cut on his eyebrow. Yang was right about me looking like I went twelve rounds with her. Hopefully, these won't scar._

His eyes trailed down to his torso. Most of his sternum was bruised and almost black in some places. His abs were injured as well, along with most of his back leading down to his lumbar region. It hurt to breathe deeply, as well. That meant Jaune cracked or completely broke several ribs. Every time he took a breath, a sharp pain tore through his chest.

 _Just my luck... I'll have to take it easy for a few days and let my Constitution do its work._

Constitution, while it determines your health, it also determines how quickly you can regenerate your Aura and heal from your wounds. It's why low Constitution classes are more susceptible to injuries and why they won't heal as quickly. Jaune's Constitution was pretty high compared to his family, but he had yet to compare it to other heroes. He assumed his Constitution was average for his level.

But as to the reason why his Aura had yet to regenerate. Jaune had no clue. Every time he got injured during a fight, Jaune's Aura would regen shortly after the combat ended. He had never had his Aura reduced to zero before, so he was lost as to the reason behind it.

"U-Um sir," a female voice called out from behind Jaune. It startled him, and he let out a yelp before turning around. A woman was standing a few feet from Jaune. The moment she got a good look at his body, she turned away and a heavy blush set in place.

"W-Who are you," Jaune nearly shouted as his heart almost jumped out of his chest. His ribs screamed at him to stop doing whatever he was doing.

The woman, who nearly gave Jaune a heart attack, was quite attractive. Her blonde hair was tied back and into a side braid. She wore a uniform similar to Velvet but was blue mixed with white. A black three-strap belt held a small case on her side.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she frantically tried to apologise, but her blue eyes looked Jaune up and down. Her blush became even worse. "I thought you heard me come into the locker room."

 _Yeah, that still didn't answer my question._

The woman took a second to compose herself. "My name is Melissa. I'm a staff member with the academy. I am responsible for maintaining the student's gear and making sure it gets repaired or cleaned when needed."

 _Ok, that's something I can use. Why didn't I know about this earlier?_

"I was going to ask if you were done with your armour and clothes so I could take them to get cleaned. I can smell the blood from here, so I decided to handle your gear first." She put her hands behind her back and stood at ease.

"Ok," Jaune half-muttered, unsure of allowing someone else to handle his gear. "But..." his voice went back to normal. "...I'll handle my blades. One of them is silver, so it requires special maintenance." She nodded, and Jaune handed her his amour scraps.

"Don't worry," she cheerfully reassured Jaune. "Heroes have the hard job protecting all of us. But they still need their armour and gear taken care of, so we try to do our part!" Melissa took his gear out of the room and down the hallway. Jaune watched her until she rounded a corner and vanished.

This was the first time Jaune had seen a staff member at the academy who wasn't a teacher. Well, there were the cooks, but whatever. Most of the employees must have been working in the background and out of the picture. Or Jaune didn't notice any of them. The heroes tend to take all of the spotlights away from everyone else. So, that was the most likely cause of Jaune not noticing the little guy.

Jaune looked back into his locker. His stockpile of healing potions was still high, so he didn't need to restock anytime soon. He popped one and quickly chugged it hoping to rid himself of the foul taste. The combination of spirits, wheat, mushrooms, and ground bark was awful. As soon as he finished the potion, any pain he had disappeared. Jaune could feel his Aura begin regenerating. But it stopped after only a few moments.

"What the hell," he muttered to himself.

...

Jaune finally managed to get out of the shower and into his uniform. It was a welcome change after marching in medium armour for nearly two days in a row. His breathing was no longer laboured as well. That was the only good thing that came out of drinking that potion.

Why it didn't regenerate his health any farther was a mystery. Something must have stopped the potion from healing him beyond a certain point. Jaune was going to ask about that when he visited the infirmary later.

He looked in the mirror again. Jaune's hair was clean and no longer saturated in blood. The area around the wounds was slightly less inflamed than it had been before. Jaune was going to have to keep those wounds clean to prevent infection.

His stomach growled like a mountain lion.

 _Damn, I'm starving._

It hit Jaune all at once. A pit formed in his stomach and it felt like it was going to devour itself. Hopefully, the others were already awake, and they could regale each other in their tales of bravery. Even if they weren't up yet, Jaune was going to reward himself with a massive breakfast.

...

Jaune found the dining hall after about twenty minutes. Several students shot him glances as he passed by them. It must have been the cuts on his face that warranted the attention. Or it was his reputation as the "Vampire Slayer."

"Jaune," Ruby shouted and waved at him from across the room. Some of the others waved at him and signalled him to join their table. Jaune obliged them since the food was on their side.

By the time he got over there, Nora had jumped up and was about to hug him. Jaune held his hands out and stopped her from crushing him.

"Please, don't," he begged, hoping not to have a punctured lung today. His ribs were already broken, and he didn't want it to go any further.

"AWWWWW," Nora whined, sitting down next to Ren. "You're no fun!" She put on a pout. Jaune was just glad she listened.

Jaune looked around the table. Everyone was here except Weiss. He should have guessed that would have happened. She was most likely in the library still, researching whatever she needed to work on deciphering the scroll.

"Well, we grabbed you some food," Yang said with a glowing smile. "Ren said you were looking pretty rough this morning." Jaune sat down across from Yang, who was sitting next to Pyrrha.

Jaune looked down at his plate. It was a cut of meat, bread, potato soup with an assortment of vegetables, and some sausage links. Nothing ever looked so good before in Jaune's life. He immediate dove into the buffet and stuffed his face.

Yang snorted, "Someone's hungry..."

"It tastes so good," Jaune said with a half-full mouth. He swallowed shortly after.

His eyes glanced over to Sun, whose head was on the table and looked like he was trying to sleep. The occasional murmur could be heard as Blake spoke to him.

"What happened to him," Jaune asked as split a piece of bread.

"Concussion," Pyrrha answered before anyone else could. "We were hunting a varanasaur in the south near the Pantan Swamps. When we found it, the lizard tried to swipe me with its tail, but Sun took it and was thrown through some trees. We killed it and made our way back to a nearby town so he could rest for a while."

Huh, a varanasaur, I heard about them somewhere. That must have been a good contract for a monitor that size. Hopefully, it was somewhere in the thousands. For the amount of effort it takes to kill them at least.

"So that big ego didn't help you out there, didn't it Pretty-Boy," Yang quipped from a reasonably safe distance. Blake shot her an amused look mixed with concern. Jaune snorted and looked over at Yang. Her face was a little bruised up, but not to the extent Jaune's was. The bruising was centred around her left eye.

"You can fuck right off," Sun replied with an annoyed tone. The table and his arms muffled it only making the retort funnier.

"Anyway," Pyrrha interjected before anything else could be said. "What happened on your quest, Jaune. Your cuts and bruises seem to be part of an interesting story." Somehow she always made whatever she said politely.

"Ooo," Ruby cut off Jaune before he could answer. "It was so cool! We were hunting goblins, and there was a hobgoblin with them!" That seemed to get everyone's attention. "We tracked the goblins to their nest and began the hunt. As we went further and further into the cave, goblins came out of nowhere, so Jaune used goblin blood to mask our scent!"

"You used goblin blood," Blake asked with a puzzled look on her face. Sun finally came up and listened in as well.

"Yeah, it was really gross," Ruby continued her story. "And when we found the nest, Jaune threw a grain alcohol bomb at the goblins and set them on fire. Then I cut them to pieces. The hob moved in and tried to hit me, but I distracted it so Jaune and Yang could attack. Yang got knocked out by the hob, but Jaune managed to get on its back and broke its neck! You guys should have seen it, steam was coming off of Jaune and everything!"

"From what I remember, hobgoblins are supposed to be around level fifteen," Pyrrha stated. "How did you get knocked out by it, Yang? And aren't goblins supposed to be low-level creatures."

"That hob was a lot higher than fifteen," Jaune stepped in to bring the real facts of the story. "It was around level twenty-nine. That's judging from the size of the nest and how many goblins were there. The hob is a sort of alpha that grows in power alongside the size of its horde. So, that's why it gave us so much trouble."

"It was bullshit because it used an Ability to knock me out," Yang voiced her outrage. "Muscles here got the final blow in, and I only got half the Exp from helping!"

"I'm guessing the hobgoblin did that to your face, Jaune," Pyrrha wondered after she swallowed a piece of bacon.

"Yeah," Jaune answered with a chuckle. He pointed at the cut on his eyebrow. "If Yang didn't come and save me, I would have been done. That goblin did a number on my ribs too. I'm going to the infirmary after classes to get checked out, so don't worry."

"You better take it easy," Yang ordered him. "I want to head out on some quests after a break, and I need you to be in shape when we head out." Jaune wanted to do the same. Going out on that first quest was the most fun he had in years.

"What about you, Ren," Jaune asked the only other functioning male at their table. "What did you guys do?"

Ren was about to say something, but Nora cut in.

"Don't worry Ren, I'll take it from here," she loudly and proudly declared. "We took on a contract to escort a princess."

"It was a merchant," Ren corrected her.

"Then we set out on our journey," Nora began her retelling of the events. "Along the way, we ran into werewolves."

"It was a pack of wolves," Ren corrected her again. Jaune could see what was going on here.

Jaune decided to let Nora keep going with her story, but ignored it at the same time. He was more focused on trying to get whatever food he could into his body. He had never been so hungry before in his life.

"So, Jaune, when do you want to go pick up our pay from the questing house," Yang asked, leaning in closer to him.

"Probably after class," Jaune answered. "We'll need to fill out paperwork before we collect the payment."

"Ughh," she groaned and let her head hit the table. "We can't just give them the letter saying we finished the quest?"

"Nope," Jaune said, popping the, 'P.' He put the letter Gaston gave them on the table. "Every member of the party has to fill out a form certifying they participated in the quest, and then we split the pay three ways."

"Alright then, Muscles," Yang spoke up. "Ruby and I will see you after class so we can cash this check."

...

Jaune managed to make it through his first classes without any incidents. It was time for Professor Goodwitch's class again. He had only fought during one match but considering his broken ribs, Jaune was not going to be able to enter into combat. His Aura had, however, was not fully regenerated either.

Usually, by now, Jaune would have regenerated his Aura completely and would be able to dive right into a fight. But his health was still sitting at around thirty per cent. Six hours ago, Jaune had only twenty per cent. Something was going on with his Aura, and Jaune couldn't figure out what it was.

The men's locker room was bustling with activity as they prepared for the lecture. Jaune opened his locker and found his gear was all there. Melissa must have brought it back and returned it when he was in class. Everything was clean and in perfect order. She must have organised it too.

Jaune slowly pulled the upper half of his uniform off. He didn't want to move too fast so as not to hurt himself. Someone whistled from behind him, and Jaune turned around to see who it was. Cardin and some of the other guys were staring at him.

 _Don't start this, please._

"So what happened to the brave and magnificent, 'Vampire Slayer,'" Cardin asked with an insulting tone. "You didn't get stomped out by that hot blonde, or any of those weaklings you call friends."

"I fought a hobgoblin," Jaune answered in a neutral tone. The other students burst into a fit of laughter. For some reason, they found it funny. Jaune should have expected it with how people underestimate goblins.

"You call yourself a knight and get the shit beat out of you by a goblin of all things," Cardin shouted with anger behind his voice. He stepped forward away from his group he walked right up to Jaune. The man stood nearly a full head above him. "That must be why you hang out with rogues and mages... Those little warrior classes too!" He let out a little chuckled. "And we're supposed to accept that you call yourself a knight! A fucking disgrace!" Jaune wanted to clock this guy in the face. But he couldn't risk getting injured with his Aura so low.

Jaune reached into his locker and grabbed his shield and breastplate. He lifted both of them, high enough so everyone could see. Several students immediately shut their mouths as soon as they saw the damage. The shield was concave, and the breastplate had the indentation of a large foot in it.

"I fought a hobgoblin that was almost Level thirty," Jaune nonchalantly announced, practically shouting. "He was twice as strong as me! That's why I got the shit beat out of me! Two hits with a club and getting smashed into a wall!" He dropped the chest plate and shield. "I bet none of you so-called 'pure knights' knows how to hunt monsters! Maybe you're afraid to get your hands, and shiny armour daddy bought you dirty?! So, how about you show me your tough and go chase down some goblins... No, how about a vampire? Go crawl through a pile of villagers from a goblin raid and come back to me! I bet you people won't leave their nests alive! You'll just become goblin shit after a few dozen surrounds and tears you to pieces!" He looked through the group standing behind Cardin. Jaune snorted slightly, seeing their faces. A bunch of rich kids who bought their way into Beacon, being trained by people to farm easy levels.

Even Cardin was rendered silent. Nobody dared to speak and some dispersed leaving Cardin with only a few people still on his side. Jaune's upgraded Charisma had to have swayed the crowd and gotten them to abandon Cardin.

Cardin looked around to see his posse up and vanish on him. He grunted and quickly turned around and delivered a jab to Jaune's ribs. "You're still a sad excuse for a knight," Cardin repeated himself. He left the room with three other students in tow.

Jaune fell to the floor coughing. He clutched his chest where Cardin had punched him and tried to control his breathing. The blow landed right on one of Jaune's ribs. Jaune had never experienced this level of agony before. It felt like somebody stabbed him and then used the knife to tear out one of the bones.

 _I'm going to kill that motherfucker!_

Once his breathing was under control, and the pain subsided. Jaune attempted to put his armour and clothes on. He couldn't get any further than his shirt and trousers and just barely managed to get his swords on his back.

...

Jaune arrived at the arena shortly after the class started. Nobody noticed him come in except Ruby who waved at him from where the rest of their friends were sitting. Jaune made his way over to them still holding his ribs, hoping not to cause himself further injury.

"We saved you a seat," Ruby chirped and patted her hand on the bench between Ruby and Weiss.

"Thanks," Jaune said as he plopped down in between them. He decided to clear his head and focused on the lecture. Not thinking about the pain helped a little bit.

Professor Port and Professor Goodwitch were standing in the centre of the arena. The Chevalier was holding a large shield in his left hand and an axe in his right.

"Now class, today we will be discussing formations," Goodwitch began. "Several different types of formations can be used in the event you are combatting an army. While it is unlikely any of you will be gathered to form a large enough unit to fight an actual battle. It is still good to know these things in the event you are assigned to the Valaen Army during a time of war."

Professor Port entered a shield stance. "There are several popular formations used by modern armies," Goodwitch continued, walking up to the front of Port. "One of which is the testudo. The testudo was popularised by the Mistralian Empire as a means to defend from missiles, both magical and physical. It consists of a shield wall in the front with the following lines of soldiers holding their shields above the heads of their comrades. Essentially, you are forming a shell to protect against most attacks. And the occasion you would be using such formations would be during sieges and skirmishes between infantry when under missile fire. However, you cannot just use any shield to form a testudo. You should use something along the lines of a Mistralian Scutum or a large kite shield. They are generally large enough that you can cover most of your body, and when paired with the testudo, they are capable of concealing most weaknesses when interlocked."

Professor Goodwitch handed Port a heater shield. "Now while the testudo may be useful for certain armies, we Valaens rarely use it anymore. Preferably, you should be applying them for defensive positions only. What they lack is mobility, and are easily harassed by cavalry." Jaune was finding this particular lecture to be quite interesting. "Army formations that are more commonly used are merely known as, 'the wall,' or, 'the circle.' These formations, when paired with pikemen, swordsmen, and archers, are something to be reckoned with. However, you must have a competent commander to lead the formation are you will find yourself being forced to retreat. Typically, these formations will have shield-bearers upfront or knights in full plate leading the attack, mainly due to steel plate having what is essentially invulnerability to most arrows that do not use magic. The wall and circle formations are best when dealing with cavalry because your pikemen will keep the horsemen at bay while you archers rain down upon them."

"For this session, we will have several students who use shields come down and enter a formation. Then we will give critiques and help each of you with your shortcomings or build upon your strengths. This will serve as an example to everyone else in the event you find yourself wielding a shield." Dozens of students got up and headed downstairs to join the formation. Jaune contemplated going with for a moment. Deciding to at least be of some use, he followed the others.

He painfully stood up and headed for the end of his row. Passing by Cardin and his friends on the way. The group was snickering about something, but Jaune didn't care to listen. As he moved to pass the knights, something caught Jaune's foot, and he stumbled forward.

He landed directly on his right side and let out a howl of pain. This yelp caught the attention of most of the classroom. Professor Goodwitch even used her magic to leap over the side of the arena to go check on Jaune. The boy currently lying on the floor, clutching his ribs.

"Jau- Arc, what happened?!" Weiss was the first to reach his side. Several other students crowded around him to check him out. Yang and Ruby were freaking out, and the Brawler sounded like she was going to kill Cardin.

Jaune didn't choose to respond. It hurt so much to even try breathing. He spat some blood out of his mouth as Weiss helped him to his feet. The other students saw this and tried to turn away. Jaune touched the side of his face and felt the wound on his eyebrow had opened up again.

 _I'm going to kill him!_

"Mr Winchester," Goodwitch spat, glaring down upon the group of knights he was sitting with. "What happened?!"

"He tripped over something," Cardin obviously lied with a smug grin on his face. Jaune wanted to beat the shit out of him right then and there.

Goodwitch looked over at Jaune. "Miss Schnee, please make sure Mr Arc gets to the infirmary," she politely asked before turning her glare back onto Cardin. "And Mr Winchester, I will be seeing you and each of your friends after class." That smug grin Cardin had on his face instantly vanished.

...

Weiss helped Jaune into the locker room. It was empty, so neither of them cared about being interrupted. It was better since Weiss would have stood near the door waiting for him if that was the case. He appreciated it since she was practically carrying him the entire distance.

"Do you want to sit down," Weiss asked. Jaune shook his head. He didn't want to move too much and risk something inside popping out of place.

"No-no," he grimaced in pain. "I just need help getting my swords off my back." Weiss unbuckled one of the straps and lifted them off his back. The extra weight taken off of him felt great. It allowed him to breathe a little deeper.

"So why didn't you head to the infirmary earlier today," Weiss asked with angry tone behind it. Jaune was expecting to be getting this lecture from the doctors or healers at the clinic, but this was much worse.

"I was going to head there after class," Jaune explained, trying his best to sound like he was telling the truth. "But Cardin and his friends sort of accelerated the process." Frankly out of all of the things that could be done to Jaune in his condition, Cardin chose the least damaging. The issue was the pain mainly.

"You should have gone there after you returned to the academy," Weiss forcefully suggested. Jaune was glad to see she was so concerned. "Not after that warrior and his goons wounded you even further."

 _She was right about that part. I still need to make sure I get payback for that._

"I didn't want to be a bother," Jaune replied. "I was also too tired to do anything else." Her expression turned back into one resembling severe annoyance. Jaune kind of knew what was coming next.

"Typical-stupid man," she growled and flicked Jaune on the nose. "You shouldn't ignore injuries because you, 'don't want to be a bother!'"

"Ok-ok," Jaune tried to deflect the lecture he was going to get. "Please don't make me laugh. You're adorable when you're angry. And it hurts my ribs." She blushed, and quickly forced it down and turned her expression back into an angry one. Weiss looked like she was about to punch him, but she quickly turned around and began walking off her in regal stride.

"Just hurry up," she huffed with the blush still slightly visible on her face. "Professor Goodwitch expects me to deliver you to the infirmary, and I cannot do that unless you pick up your feet. And we'll need to get there before your wound can bleed all over the carpets."

"Yes, ma'am," Jaune followed, clutching his ribs trying not to move them too much. The blood coming off of his eye obscured his vision enough that he was forced to close it.

Today is already going great.

...

The infirmary at Beacon was massive. It was one of the most advanced medical centres in all of Vale. Similar in construction to the rest of the academy but you would find it more homologous to a hospital due to its white walls and grey tile floors. It also smelled of chemicals; the pungent odour filled Jaune's nostrils.

"We just need to check you in over here," Weiss directed Jaune to the front desk. "I'm guessing with your luck, you will see this place more than the rest of us."

 _I'm not that bad of a fighter!_

Jaune looked around and found nobody else in the lobby. There were no staff either. They must have been helping somebody else out and left the front unmanned.

"It's not like I try to get injured," Jaune countered with a cough at the end. "The first time was taking an arrow for you, and the second time was because I lost my sword, and Yang was knocked out." Hopefully getting injured on every adventure was not going to become a usual thing. Jaune was o for two now.

One of the medical staff rounded a corner and saw Weiss and Jaune standing out in the lobby. The woman's eyes glanced over at the wound on Jaune's head. "If you come with me sir, we can get that laceration looked at," the woman politely directed him to a nearby door, and he followed.

"I guess I'll see you later Weiss," Jaune said before taking his first few steps.

"Actually, I'm coming with you," Weiss stated in a way that gave him no options at all. "I need to ask you something, and sitting in an arena, watching people play with shields is one of the duller activities I could think of." She turned to follow just behind him.

As the two heroes followed the woman, Jaune took in his surroundings. Most of the building was just hallways with doors leading up and down the floors. There was a waiting room next to some stained glass windows and even a small area where people could sleep. Men and women wearing white outfits passed by the students. Some looked to be priests or priestesses, and a few were actually wearing armour under their cloaks.

The woman directed the two into a room. It looked to be a simple office style room. A large examination table was in the centre, and some drawers were off to the side. It looked and felt like a professional doctor's office.

Bar didn't really have a dedicated examination room like this one. The citizens mainly used a table with a white sheet placed over it by the local priest and healers. The temple where most of the healing was done couldn't even compare to the level of sophistication Beacon had here.

The nurse, (that was what Jaune was calling her right now) grabbed a white cloth and handed it too Jaune. "One of the healers should be returning in a few minutes. Hold this against your head, and apply pressure. The bleeding is already slowing, but this should staunch any remaining blood flow. I'll need to prepare an ointment to accelerate the healing process, and we'll apply that when I return as well." Jaune pressed the cloth against his forehead. Blood quickly began soaking into the rag. He looked down to see some on his shirt too.

 _Dammit, I just got this one cleaned!_

Jaune set the cloth to the side and pulled at the hem of his shirt. He let out a groan as the clothing came up and over his head. More blood was transferred to the shirt as it passed by his face.

Weiss turned around and nearly let out a shriek. "You dolt, what are you doing," she asked with a severe blush taking up most of her face. Weiss got a better look at his chest and calmed down. "What happened to you?" Her blush lessened in severity.

He nearly busted out laughing at her reaction. It was not every day he could get a girl to blush. Jaune was even happier it was Weiss. Maybe it wasn't the scenario he wanted it to happen in, but it was still cute nonetheless. Only if he got the courage up to tease and flirt with her more. Then Weiss could probably see there was some inkling of feelings Jaune held for her.

 _Can't... I don't know if she likes me that way._

He sat down and pushed the cloth against his face. "Hobgoblin, about twice my level," he plainly explained. "I was only level fourteen during that fight. Destroyed my armour... again." A trickle of blood came down the side of Jaune's face. He pulled the cloth off his face and discarded it.

Weiss grabbed another bandage and pulled his hand away from his wound. "Let me do it," she practically growled at him. "I swear, you knights wouldn't know what to do with yourselves if you didn't have a mage in your party!" She pressed the cloth against his forehead. One of her hands held Jaune's head to stabilise it so he couldn't move around. Weiss' face was a few inches away from his. Jaune could feel her slow breathing touch his skin.

"We're not all that bad," Jaune countered, trying to distract himself from Weiss' proximity. "Some of us are, like Cardin." His tone turned annoyed. "I can't believe I let him get two cheap shots in like that!" Jaune clutched his ribs in pain again. That outburst was too much for him to handle.

"I thought he only tripped you," Weiss pointed out.

"He punched me right in the ribs before class too," Jaune explained. "My aura hasn't fully recovered yet, so that hit managed to do some damage." Jaune could still feel where Cardin hit him. It was right on one of the ribs that was causing him so much pain.

"But that's enough about me," Jaune ended that tangent. "You said you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes," she half-mumbled. Jaune could feel the seething anger hidden in her expression. "I wanted to ask if you would allow me to accompany you on your next quest?"

He snorted, "You miss me already?" Her expression didn't seem to indicate she was pleased with his jest.

"No, I do not," she firmly stated. "It's not even related to you. It's... Nora."

"Nora?" What's so bad about Nora? Other than her killer bear hugs that would kill a bear.

"Yes," she confirmed, sounding slightly guilty about admitting it. "I-I can't stand working with her. She seems to have some idea that all mages can summon things..."

"Such as?" Jaune wasn't sure where this was going. Weiss let out a short breath with her expression becoming more gloomy.

"She consistently asks me to pull a rabbit out of a hat," Weiss explained, both sounding like she was angry and on her last straw before going completely insane. "Or summon a magic squirrel! Or pancakes!" Her anger grew even greater, causing the girl to put more pressure on Jaune's wound. "I swear if I have to work with her anymore, I may lose my mind!"

Jaune lost his composure and started laughing. Despite the pain in his ribs, he couldn't help it. Weiss didn't seem to share his sentiments, growing a frown. The boy didn't pay attention to it, holding his stomach to dull the pain slightly. Eventually, he started coughing loudly, cutting himself off from being able to continue. It gave the boy some time to recoup to continue this conversation.

"Come on, Weiss," Jaune began, wiping his eye. "Nora's not that bad! She's fun to be around!"

Jaune wasn't sure why Weiss was so caught up on. Whenever he went out into Vale with Yang and Ruby, Nora and Ren would tag along, and they would have a blast. The bubbly hammer wielder's endless supply of energy paired with Ruby and Yang's enthusiasm would have those three bouncing off each other the entire night. It usually ended up being a fun night out for everybody.

"Yes, that may be the case for you and your friends," Weiss replied, giving Jaune her side of the story. "However, when there is only one other girl around, or her friend happens to be absent, it tends to become... overwhelming." Weiss looked away from Jaune, her expression revealing she was trying to imply something deeper. "Do you understand?"

 _Oh... She's shy? I'm pretty sure that's the right word. Or introverted? Why didn't I think about that?_

It made sense now. Weiss spent all of her time in the library or practising fencing on her own. Every class Jaune had seen her in, she was sitting alone unless Ruby, Yang, or he was around. Weiss wouldn't go out of her way to speak with people unless they had come to her. So, it would be a given that Weiss wasn't a people person. She could be one if there was a need but just wanted to be left alone to do her own thing.

"Yeah..." Jaune shook his head, showing he figured it out. "...I get it. But why me? You could go with Pyrrha or someone who's stronger."

Jaune wasn't sure why Weiss would go to him. Pyrrha was nearly twice as strong as he was. Blake was a powerhouse on her own, but she was out from the get-go. Weiss did seem to like Ruby and Yang, which they were pretty strong and could handle themselves. Everyone else eclipsed Jaune in terms of strength due to their levels. It just didn't make sense to the Knight.

"That's because I am familiar with your skills," Weiss explained, removing the piece of cloth from Jaune's head and placing another back on the wound. "You have an aptitude for magic that can be tapped even further. You exhibit a higher degree of professionalism when compared to other knights. Finally, your swordsmanship, while below-average in terms of style, is functional. You do not play around and try to show off."

 _Woah... That's what she thinks of me? I'm kind of flattered. She's going to make me big-headed at this rate._ Jaune felt his heart rate begin to climb. _Maybe I can try to talk to her?_

His crush was asking to team up with him to go questing all over the face Sanus. Who wouldn't say no to that?

"Heh, thanks," Jaune said, feeling a bit nervous about receiving such high praise from Weiss. "I don't know what skill with magic you're talking about... but I'll have to talk to Yang and Ruby about it. I can't just leave them or let Ren and Nora work as a duo."

"Okay," Weiss said, standing up to her full height. Barely coming up and over his head. "If they agree to allow us to switch groups, then we can consider ourselves 'partners.' Professor Ozpin said the mages should look for someone to work with on a long-term basis. So I am choosing you to be that person."

Jaune was about to say something, but Weiss cut him off. "But do not consider this an opportunity to attempt to court me," she flat out demanded that from him, pointing directly at the space between his eyes. "If you can handle that, then we may get along!"

Jaune would respect her wishes. It was understandable given the story she gave him about her past with previous suiters. However, Jaune wasn't sure where to proceed from here. He wanted to just ask her out and go do something in Vale. An easy date. But Weiss didn't want that. It honestly felt a little discouraging to the Knight.

"Got it..."

Someone knocked on the door and opened it right after. Another woman who was wearing the robes of a priestess entered the room. "Mr Arc," she began with chastising tone, looking down at a sheet of paper. "When you are injured, you are supposed to head to the infirmary, not attempt to participate in combat class." Her words trailed away as she looked up and saw Weiss.

"See she agrees with me as well," Weiss joined in on chastising the boy. "You wouldn't be in this position if you had taken care of your injuries yesterday."

"Listen to your girlfriend, Mr Arc, she knows what she talking about," the Priestess quipped as she set the paper aside. Weiss' face burned a bright shade of crimson. Jaune was even worse. The bruising on the side of his face was eclipsed by the blush that set in.

"I am not his girlfriend," Weiss denied the label she was given with a massive amount of indignation behind it.

"Don't worry, I know you aren't," the Priestess admitted with a chuckle. "I enjoy teasing the students. You guys are so easy sometimes." She whispered something, and a thin miasma covered her hands. The Priestess poked and prodded at the wound on Jaune's forehead for a moment.

"The wounds on your face are superficial so we won't need to stitch them," the Priestess explained. "One of the healers will apply some ointment, and it should be closed by tomorrow. But these ribs, however, are a different story." She waved her hands over Jaune's torso and closed her eyes.

"You have around six broken ribs, but you're lucky because you are not haemorrhaging internally," she continued. "May I ask how you received these injuries?"

"Hobgoblin," Jaune answered. "High level one too.

"And you tanked most of the damage," she asked. "Actually I shouldn't need to ask you. You most likely did just that. I can see your Aura hasn't fully regenerated either."

"Yeah," Jaune wheezed. "Why hasn't that happened yet? My Aura always comes back maybe an hour after a fight, but this time it hasn't."

"You don't even know about that," Weiss spoke up from the side. "How have you survived this long?"

 _I'm asking that myself._

"Most likely it's his stubborn nature," the Priestess added on to Jaune's continued chagrin. "But, Mr Arc, when your Aura is reduced to zero. You can receive permanent injuries, and you are affected by a debuff."

"Debuff?" Jaune knew about debuffs, but not this specific one. Arclight casts its own debuff over a large radius and doesn't affect him. Silver swords have their own debuff as well when it cuts monsters.

"Your Aura won't fully regenerate for several days," Weiss explained, lecturing him like his doctor. "Healing potions won't be able to function correctly, and you should just stay in bed for the time being. You end up becoming rather fragile as well and can be afflicted with hypersensitivity in or around your wounds."

The Priestess grabbed a tome off of a nearby shelf. She thumbed through it before settling about halfway through it. "Ok, Mr Arc, I am going to cast a spell," she began. "This will reset all of your broken ribs and fuse the bones back together. Then your body will be able to take care of the rest. You will only feel some minor discomfort, but it shouldn't last very long."

...

Jaune took a deep breath. It was finally without some sort of lingering pain. The wounds on his face were cleaned and dressed with some kind of paste-like salve. Whatever was in the ointment immediately reduced the swelling to nothing. Jaune was now regretting his choice to neglect going to the infirmary now.

The spell cast upon him was an interesting one. Jaune could feel his ribcage rearrange itself and then fuse the bones together. It may have stung for a moment when a sharp piece of a rib poked him in the wrong spot, but it didn't actually hurt that much. Jaune cringed for the entire duration of the spell; however, something inside your body wiggling around is one of the most discomforting things he could have imagined, and he felt it.

"That was it," Jaune asked with a dumbfounded expression.

 _That hurt less than I thought it would._

"Yes, Mr Arc," the Priestess answered. "A healer's first job is to make sure our patients don't feel any pain. I cast a spell to temporarily suppress your nerve endings before I set your ribs." Jaune continued listening, but his eyes focused on the tome containing the healing spells.

"Those spells might be useful," Jaune asserted curiously. "Could I - could I maybe learn something like that?" The Priestess' face brightened up the moment he asked.

Any healing spells could be useful in the long run. Especially with Yang and Jaune's brawler-type fighting style. Injuries would be common when they went after higher-level monsters. And since Jaune could use some spells at least, it would be good to try learning something else. At least having some healing rituals to use would keep Jaune from having to repeat this scenario again. He could also provide a support role to his parties even if he wasn't the strongest member.

"I'm glad you are interested," she replied with a cheerful tone. "There are not enough healers nowadays, and we especially need someone with skill in combat. I could recommend some tomes that would help with your understanding of the restoration school, including a few spell tomes for basic healing practices."

She jotted something down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Jaune tucked the sheet into his back pocket. He didn't notice, however, the look Weiss gave him as the two exchanged the letter.

...

Jaune left the hospital shortly after Weiss. She mentioned something about needing to study and didn't bother to say anything else. Now he needed to find Ruby and Yang or they would find him. They had the unnerving ability to know exactly where he was. It was kind of scary, actually.

"JAUNE," Ruby and Yang both yelled from the side and nearly dog-piled him.

"Hey!" Jaune held out his hands, keeping them at bay. He was trying to make sure nobody injured him again. "Still injured here! Please don't hurt me!"

"You're looking a lot better," Yang stated with a smile. "Oh, I beat the shit out of Cardin too! Ms Goodwitch stuck us in the arena and let me go at it!" She lifted her hands and entered a boxing stance.

 _Now I feel sorry for Cardin._

"I won my first fight too," Ruby chirped with poorly hidden excitement behind it. "Crescent Rose broke..." Her words trailed away, and she put on a pout.

"Yeah, it was a good weapon," Yang consoled Ruby. "But, Jaune, after we get done collecting our pay, we're going to head into Vale to go buy a new one! Want to join us?" Seemed like something fun to do. Jaune didn't really have anything else going for him right now.

"Sure," Jaune agreed, flashing a smile. "Can we go tomorrow since I have to go see Alexandre about my armour?"

"Yep," Ruby chirped again. "We can get Crescent Rose 7.0, and I really want to see your armour!"

* * *

 **That's chapter ten. We'll pick it up next week with Jaune going to get his armour and there will be a lot of explanation for how weapons and armour work within this world. (Stats Shit)**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **Active Debuff**

 **Aura Exhaustion**

 **Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.**

* * *

 **Next Update: When I get it done!**


	11. Chapter 11

**This took forever to get done. I had two tests this week that I had to study for and I just said, "Fuck it," and decided not to work on this during the week. So I put in four hours every night for both of those tests. And on Thursday I decided to study late into the night. And you know what happens. I slept through my chemistry test. I'm so pissed, but I can only be angry at myself!**

 **Now I got that out of my system, we can recite a Bob Ross quote to calm me down.**

 **In other news, my newest chapter of, To Those Who Survived The Fall, did pretty well. I doubled the amount of followers I previously had and the only complaint I got was Jaune's sword. Apparently, people do not like giant swords. I didn't know that until twenty minutes after I had posted it. So I scaled down the size of the sword to where it's now like the size of an upscaled war sword, but I kept everything else the same.**

 **And I did not base that version of Jaune off of Cloud from Final Fantasy. Cloud's a scrawny motherfucker carrying a sword that's too big for him. I based that Jaune off of Guts from Berserk. A true badass.**

 **But back to this story. This chapter, we begin introducing stats to weapons. I didn't put stuff in there like damage or stamina usage because that would be a bitch to do so and I don't want to do that. What I did, however, was put the requirements for the stats needed to wield the weapon, the level of said weapon or armour, and the materials that are used to make it. The stats and materials determine the damage or the protection of the gear in some sort of arbitrary manner I do not wish to discuss.**

 **I also bring in Oakeshott's typology for swords...**

 **Yeah, I'm a nerd and medieval enthusiast with no friends and spends all his time in the gym or writing fanfictions. But, we needed to bring in a way to classify the different swords because I don't want to spend a half hour telling you what every sword Jaune picks up looks like.**

 **I'm done now. So, enjoy and tell me how I did.**

* * *

 **Additional AN: If you want to get a good idea of what Jaune's armour looks like. Look up Fantasy Paladin Armour in google. You'll get a good picture of what I'm trying to describe.**

* * *

 _Ugghhh... Morning already?_

Jaune slowly gained consciousness over a few seconds. He blinked his eyes, letting his focus come back to him. The first thing he saw was the underside of Ren's bunk. The walnut-brown oak boards stared right back at him.

He rolled over and sat up. Expecting pain, Jaune winced, but when he couldn't feel anything, he opened his eyes. His ribs were still tender, and his body ached in some places; however, nothing hurt. It was a welcome change after the shitshow that was yesterday.

Honestly, Jaune felt as though he slept like a baby. He was feeling the burn yesterday, but now it was slightly dampened. He fell asleep at around seven again and didn't even move from where he collapsed until now. It felt good to have slept for so long too.

Jaune rolled his shoulder and felt it pop. Turning another joint prompted a crack from all of the other connecting parts as well. He pushed himself off of the bed, welcoming his lumbar region's own cacophony.

 _Ooooo, that felt good!_

Taking a quick look around, Jaune noticed a few students lumbering away from their bunks. Their sluggish expression indicated they had arisen at around the same time as he did. They were probably going to get breakfast before class, and then head to lessons.

He rechecked his Aura. It was resting at about fifty per cent now. The recovery was still slow, but it was getting there. Maybe in a few days, Jaune's Aura would be back to normal, and he could begin taking on some more quests.

However, taking new quests would mean putting himself at risk for injury again. Jaune could agree that charging at the hobgoblin and trying to put it in a headlock was stupid. But, he was short on options, and while Crocea Mors would have worked, it would not have been as effective.

The issue with using a steel sword or any weapon on a monster is having to contend with their damage resistances. Steel will cut through skin, muscle, bone and maybe light armour, but will suffer reduced effectiveness for the above reasons. Silver, when properly used on monsters or magical entities, will glide right through whatever resistances are in the way.

Resistances meaning any sort of biological, magical, or fabricated construct that gives protection to an individual. These buffs or debuffs can affect the tide of a battle. For example, if a creature has hard-bony plates on the outside of their body, then they take less damage from everything due to having what is effectively armoured plating on the outside of their body or if they have certain blood chemistry that allows for resistance to toxins. Given that monsters are composed of biological materials with magicka sprinkled in there, silver can be used to circumvent any defences, but that is dependent on the stats of the wielder of weapon, the weapon itself, and the monster or magical entity that is being attacked.

Now, as a smith, Jaune knew very well about the stats of weapons and armour. A silver sword or any blade is only as effective as the smith who made it, the stats of the individual user, and the materials you make it out of. So, if a monster is a high enough level, then anything Jaune had in his arsenal would be useless against that creature, or if, say the Strength stat of a hobgoblin is stronger than both you and your armour.

Said imp was capable of resisting the effects of Jaune's silver sword due to the hobgoblin literally being somewhere around twice his level. The effectiveness was reduced to merely burning the palm of the goblin's hand.

Ira Rubrum, while it was a handy weapon for basic goblins, or drowners, and even the draugr. It is rated at level-eight. Not trash tier like Ruby's scythe. But not high-quality like his enchanted sword.

To put that into terms, it's like throwing a twig at a dragon. If Jaune was lucky, he might be able to knick a scale off of the wyrm before it killed him. That was the discrepancy in power between what was an effective weapon at one level or another. Blake's, Gambol Shroud, for example, was still a monstrosity of a weapon in her hands. She was able to cleave through the heavy armour of a draugr. Through hardened steel. Something Jaune was not capable of.

It could be argued that since the steel was ancient and probably rusted through, she was able to do that. Armour is afflicted with debuffs when left in moisture for too long or not taken care of at all. But the enchanted steel decorating the draugr would have still snapped Crocea Mors like a twig.

There is also Ruby's scythe, Crescent Rose. While the trash tier scythe would be around maybe level one or two. Ruby's passive, which forces her to only be able to use a scythe, also makes her extremely powerful with it. The girl could tussle with opponents in heavy armour easily, provided the weapon didn't snap on contact with the plate.

Had Jaune been a higher level than he was previously. Meaning he actually was an average level for his peer group. He could perform these same feats, with his own low-levelled weapons, such as his level-eight sword, at a sufficient level fifteen, possibly. But he would need to gather more Exp for that bonus to even apply. It wasn't worth using a sword for a regular job that was half his level, which meant he needed a new one.

Before Jaune could even think about reforging his entire loadout, he needed to pick up his armour. There were a few hours before classes began, so he could head into Vale with Yang and Ruby. Maybe he could find a blade there that was cheap enough for him to buy.

...

Shutting the door to the communal dorms as quietly as possible, Jaune turned around. He took a look at the courtyard separating the two buildings. Nobody else seemed to be out here except for him. It was not entirely unusual since classes didn't start until nine.

 _Deserted again?_

Jaune turned left and jumped as he saw someone standing right there. "OH, SHIT," he yelped as his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. It took him a second to recognise that it was Blake standing right there in her uniform. Two amber eyes and an entertained shit-eating grin stared back at Jaune.

Blake crossed arms and leaned back against the stone. "A little jumpy today," she observed with her usual indifferent tone. Although Jaune could tell, there was some amusement behind it. Ironic as well since she ran off at the first sign of danger the last time something happened at the academy.

"Yeah," Jaune admitted. "I wasn't expecting to see someone standing right there." He didn't like to admit it, but she had scared the shit out of him. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

 _I feel like I should know this answer already. Sun follows her around like a lost puppy._

Blake's smile fell back to a flat line. "I'm waiting for Sun," she answered, not showing any enthusiasm in her voice. "We were going to grab some breakfast before getting some fencing practice in."

 _A date. I knew it!_

"I see," Jaune calmly noted. "So that's how it is?" His tone turned more playful and almost teasing. "You two going out on a date?!" His comment prompted Blake's face to turn a deep shade of red.

 _Yang's starting to rub off on me!_

"I don't need Gambol Shroud to beat you up," she gave him a mock threat but kept trying to force her smile down. "My hands are perfectly capable of that even now." She cupped one hand in the other, popping her knuckles loudly. Jaune believed her. She took down draugr like they were nothing. He didn't even know her level either, so he couldn't strategise around it.

"Ok-ok, I'll leave you alone," Jaune conceded, holding his hands up in mock surrender, keeping up the playful attitude. "Weiss hits me enough already, I don't need someone who can make it hurt." Blake rolled her eyes as she lightly snorted.

"Just make sure Yang doesn't hear about it," Blake requested, with only a minor amount of behind it. "She already teases us enough as it is."

"Don't worry," Jaune reassured her. "I'll keep your date a secret for you two." Blake blushed even harder than before. She balled her fist, and Jaune immediately retreated to a safe distance. "Catch you guys later!" Jaune turned around and made his way over to the women's dorms. Hopefully, Ruby was able to wake Yang up so they could get going. There was a two-hour window for them before they had to make their way back to the academy. Plenty of time to do what they needed.

And Jaune was really looking forward to seeing what his armour looked like as a finished product. Those schematics Jaune drew and handed off to Alexandre had been something he was working on for a while. They were based around Jaune's exact measurements and were a compilation of everything he learned over the years.

Jaune wished he had made the set earlier and before he had arrived at Beacon, but he couldn't have access to his household forge for long periods time out of fear of being discovered by his father. Had Nicholas found out that he was attempting to forge his own suit of armour, the old man would have destroyed the schematics and any pieces he had already created. Luckily, at Beacon, he was outside of his father's reach for the time being.

Finally crossing the massive courtyard, which was like a ten-minute walk. Jaune realised why Ozpin had him hide in the women's dorms when the inquisitors showed up. Having to run what was half the length of the academy versus a short minute-long sprint from the library to the women's dorms might have caused some issues for him had he been caught outside. Not to mention having to fight what may have been several dozen higher-level soldiers would have led to a swift end for Jaune.

Standing before the women's dorms, he glanced up at the building containing the women's dorms. Jaune had never really paid that much attention to the architecture before during his first two weeks at the academy. Architecture just didn't interest him at all, but it was good to take a look at a building every once in a while and get a feel for it.

Both of the dorms were exact copies of each other. Thick stone walls with intertwining wooden trusses for support. The mortar holding the wall together was degrading in a few spots, but everything was solid. Dozens of stained windows lined the whole outer structure and contained various scenes from Beacon's history as well as Vale's. The rooves were both covered in red-slated tiles emulating the rest of Vale's style.

While appealing to look at, the dorms were built to take damage. The thick stone walls should be able to handle a trebuchet or several. Actually, all of Beacon was constructed much like a fortress. Every door was a composite made from multiple metals and wood so nobody could force their way through. And even if someone launched a siege on the academy, they would have to face a bunch of very pissed off heroes and an even angrier Ms Goodwitch.

One of the large wood and steel-trim door was pushed open, letting out a large creak as the hinges ground against each other. Jaune looked down to see Ruby skipping out in her usual garb. Her cloak was picked up by the wind and began fluttering. Ruby noticed him standing there, smiling as she gave him a light wave. "Hi, Jaune!"

"Hey," he confidently replied. He peeked around Ruby, expecting Yang to walk around the corner. A few seconds later, the blonde had yet to emerge from her lair.

 _Huh, Yang's not here yet? She's not a morning person as far as I can tell, so she may be slow after waking up._

Jaune knew what that was like. Having to come off a monster hunt late at night only to get up a few hours later for chores. The repetitive cycle of sleep deprivation made it to where he could go long periods without sleep and be perfectly fine.

The door creaked open again. Yang stumbled out with every part of her screaming, 'lethargic.' Her bright blonde hair was still perfectly maintained and looked absolutely stunning. But her expression said otherwise. Both of Yang's eyes had noticeable bags under them and were bloodshot.

"Why did we have to do this so early," Yang gave out a pathetic whine that was more of a mumble.

"Because I enjoy your suffering," Jaune quipped with a snort towards the end. Ruby giggled to further the blonde's annoyance. Yang responded by slugging Jaune in the shoulder. He began fervently massaging the sore spot as the Brawler strutted past him.

 _Fuck! She hits hard!_

"Don't worry, Jaune," Ruby said as she patted him on the shoulder. "She gets cranky in the morning sometimes."

 _Yeah, I noticed!_

Yang turned around and face her fellow companions. "So, what are we taking care of first," she asked, crossing her arms. The blonde was looking to Jaune or Ruby for an answer. Nobody said anything for several seconds, so Jaune stepped up.

"I guess we need to get Ruby a scythe first," he hesitantly suggested. Yang shrugged her shoulders in agreement. Ruby seemed to agree, as well. "After that, we can head to Alexandre's shop and grab my armour." Both girls nodded, giving Jaune the plan for today.

Before they were going to head out and into Vale. The door was pushed open again. Weiss stepped out, completely oblivious to the trio standing outside. She wore her usual mage attire and had her rapier strapped to her hip. Several steps outside of the building, Weiss glanced up, flinching when she saw them, surprised to see the trio standing there.

"Sup', Weiss-cream," Yang called out to her. "Heading into Vale, too?!"

"I am, in fact, heading into the city," Weiss politely responded with little to no attitude in there. She was getting better and better at not snapping at anybody. It was slow, but she was making progress. Jaune just needed to get her to stop calling him, 'Arc.' "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just wondering," Yang mused with a playful smirk. "We're going to pick up some new gear for Jaune and Ruby. And since you and Muscles have been getting pretty buddy-buddy lately, I thought you might want to join us."

Weiss scowled at the buddy-buddy comment. The two heroes were not exactly buddy-buddy, but Yang was batting in that direction. Jaune wasn't going to be angry with the blonde if she was able to convince Weiss to come along.

"There are some items I need to acquire as well," Weiss replied, keeping a calm manner. Jaune still wondered what was so important that Weiss had to go into Vale herself to get it. She seemed like the type of girl to send a servant to retrieve it.

"Alright," Yang chirped. "Let's get moving then! Jaune can be our pack mule!" Yang threw him a coy grin and started heading toward the main gate. "Right Muscles?!"

 _Now I feel like I'm being taken advantage of!_

"Why am I the pack mule," Jaune whined as he followed behind the girls. "There's more to me than a strong back, you know!" Jaune was always sure there was more to him than his boyish good looks. His mother told him that at least.

"Oh, I'm sure there is," Yang sarcastically replied. She looked back and flashed Jaune another smile.

...

Down in Vale proper, the market place and boroughs leading up to Beacon were beginning to wake up. More people were out on the streets going about their business. A town crier was shouting the recent news about a decree from the King. Merchants were pitching at any passerby who happened to glance in their direction.

This area was just outside the academy. Only a few hundred feet from the King's palace. Which was surprisingly close in Jaune's opinion. He expected the King to have had more of a buffer between the royal palace and the commoners. But, Vale was a tightly packed city sequestered in a valley. For space reasons, one of the previous kings must have given up some land and brought the inner walls closer to his castle.

The neighbourhood shifted from mostly stone walls and marble walkways to cobble and wattle and daub homes. Everything about this area sharply contrasted what Beacon had in appearance. It wasn't a poor district of Vale either. The section just wasn't as polished as the academy or the palace. More practical concerning construction.

Jaune took a look at some of the weapons displayed at the market stalls. Now that he had some coin to his name, Jaune could decide to potentially purchase another weapon to keep as a spare. Or that one could become his primary and Crocea Mors would become his extra. Although he would just rename his new weapon to Crocea Mors the Second.

He eyed a sturdy looking longsword. It was a medium carbon-steel blade that was a few inches longer than Crocea Mors. The forty-eight-inch blade was a type thirteen a sword made primarily for cutting. This one, in particular, has a fuller that ran three-fourths of the central ridge.

Inspecting the blade, Jaune visualised the stats the weapon possessed.

 **Valaean Longsword**

 **Level 16**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements**

 **Strength: 26**

 **Agility: 19**

 **Perception: 23**

 _Huh... I can use this blade, but it's going to be a little slow. Even if I levelled up twice and got my agility to nineteen, then it wouldn't even matter because I might find something better. I could also melt down Crocea Mors and buy a steel ingot so I could make a new one myself._

"What are you doing," a voice from behind him inquired. Jaune turned his head to Weiss, standing about a foot from him. Her eyes were narrowed, not out of annoyance, but out of curiosity as to what he was looking at.

"I am thinking about getting a new sword, or maybe reforging my old one," he explained, testing the strength of the quillons. Pulling down on the crossguard did not make it come loose, suggesting that this blade was put together correctly. But when Jaune scanned the edge, he noticed something else.

There were small cracks in the steel. Places where the entire blade could shatter from a misplaced strike. Even with Jaune's low-tier sword, he could slice right through these weak points and disarm anybody using this weapon.

 _This is terrible craftsmanship! Something like this would never cut it back in Bar!_

The only use this weapon had now, was to be stock that Jaune could melt and make another sword out of. Currently, it was less than useless and not worth the five-hundred lien it was priced at. Jaune didn't even consider it worth his time to try bargaining for a lower price since he could buy ingots for less than that.

"You have an enchanted sword," Weiss pointed out. Jaune was surprised she kept track of that. "Why not use that as your primary and save the money?"

 _Good idea, but it has one drawback..._

"I'm not using it yet until I know the enchantment on the sword," Jaune explained, setting the sword back onto the table. He felt like he was going to get another stern lecture from Weiss about not knowing anything. "And don't enchanted weapons require Dust to refill the enchantment when you use it up?" Weiss' expression indicated that she wasn't pleased with his question.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are one of the most ignorant heroes I have ever known," Weiss ridiculed him for yet again not knowing something. She didn't sound angry, and it was more like an off-hand comment. However, it was not appreciated.

"Hey! At least I'm trying," Jaune replied in anger. And he was attempting to learn new things. Jaune didn't have access to the same resources a rich-girl like Weiss would have. His options were, frankly, limited, but he learned everything he could with what he had. "I had to learn everything I know on my own. Nobody was there to teach me anything!" Jaune could see a hint of shame in her reaction to what he said. A piece of him wanted to keep tearing into Weiss for pretty much calling him an idiot again.

And when Jaune said he to learn everything on his own. He meant it. His father may have taught him the basics of blacksmithing, but when it came to swords and armour, that was all Jaune. And it was the sole reason as to why Jaune was able to forge his first full set of armour. Then for everything else he knew, that was diligent studying in his free time.

His younger sister, Cereza, the prodigal child, was given all the attention of their father. Jaune, simply, was not as skilled and didn't have what it took to be an adventurer. She had everything he didn't. The rest of his siblings didn't have the same aspirations those two had. But, whenever Jaune asked to practice or to even learn something from the old man, he was shot down by both of them. The younger Arc, rubbing it in his face.

The prime reason for Jaune's drive was to show them he was capable of making it as an adventurer.

Weiss paused for a moment to seemingly collect her thoughts and figure out a way to word it correctly. "I know," she sighed. "It's just surprising how you can somehow blunder into a situation with no knowledge whatsoever, and end up coming out victorious. And I did not imply you were in any way stupid... bar your previously reckless actions." Jaune could agree to the last part. "But, if we are going to work together, then I will have to take steps to correct that. We should begin with your difficulties related to magic. You still have that list of those restoration tomes?"

 _I had it somewhere..._

"Yeah," Jaune answered, still irritated with Weiss, but it was quickly going away. "We can start after class, I guess. I can't take any quests until my ribs heal. And I still have that debuff." That damn debuff was killing him! Not literally, of course. It was just annoying because Jaune was useless at this point.

"Hey," Yang shouted from the side. "Are you guys coming or what?!" Were they waiting for us the whole time?! Jaune now regretted his decision to peruse the weapons. "We're on a schedule, you know?!" Ruby nodded in agreement with her sister.

"Alright-alright," Jaune placated his fellow blonde. "I was checking out some swords, but they suck, so I decided not to buy one." Ruby seemed to take an immediate interest in Jaune's analysis.

"What kind of sword were you looking at," Ruby excitedly asked, skipping just ahead of the group. "Was it another longsword?!" Her enthusiastic demeanour shone through towards the end as it became higher pitched and bordered on a gasp.

"Yeah," he gave a curt reply, his mood had yet to return to normal. "It wasn't terrific. The stats were okay, but the blade was badly damaged." Ruby seemed to scowl as she learned the news.

"I hate when people can't take care of their weapons," Ruby growled, kicking at the road with her heel. Jaune couldn't help but agree with her. It bothered him whenever he was brought tools or weapons that looked as though they had been neglected their entire lives. "I mean, why even have a sword if you're not going to maintain it?! Sure, I've broken all of my scythes, but I took care of every one of my precious Crescent Roses until I broke them!"

"Don't worry, Rubes," Yang moved to calm her sister. "Once we get you a new Crescent Rose or three, and we get Jaune's armour. You'll forget all about it!"

"She's right," Weiss whispered to Jaune, earning a light snort from the knight.

...

"So, this is the place," Jaune sceptically asked. He had a very good reason for it as well.

The shop they were standing in front of could only be described as pitiful if Jaune was perfectly clear. It was more of a shack with a small stand outside the front of it. Smoke billowed out from the short chimney decorating the roof. The wooden tiles all around it seemed to be rotting from lack of care and weathering.

Jaune looked inside the smithy and noticed while it wasn't pretty on the outside, it was actually reasonably organised. The tools that were not being used were all hung up on the wall. The centre space was free of obstacles except for a chair that was off to the side. Any of the weapons or tools this man peddled were laid out on a table in neat rows for the customers to look at.

Okay, maybe I was wrong. This place is actually pretty nice. Jaune's bias towards the appearance of smithies influenced his original opinion on it. But this guy seemed to know what he was doing. Frankly, it wasn't that bad now that Jaune had gotten a good look at his shop.

"Yep," Yang gave an upbeat response. "The guy who owns the place is pretty cheap sometimes, but he's kind of an asshole." She walked up to the counter and knocked on the table. The Smith on the inside turned around and gave a quick glance at the blonde.

"I'll be over in just a second, Blondie," the large man called out to Yang. He set down his hammer and pulled off his gloves. The man was built like an oak tree and was just as tall. His gruff appearance reminded Jaune of an archetypal pirate from a sailor's story. However, his features remained very neat with a beard that was trimmed down and hugging his jaw.

"Oh, Junior, you know you shouldn't keep a girl waiting," Yang retorted with her trademark grin. The man who was now known as Junior, rolled his eyes as he stepped up to the counter.

He glared at Jaune. "So there's two of you now," he asked in an almost hostile manner. Jaune wasn't sure of what was going on between those two, but he didn't want to be dragged into it. But if he had to guess, it was due to Yang's temper. "I have to deal with enough of you blondes already. I don't need to worry about any more."

"Dontcha worry about Muscles over there," Yang dispelled any concerns about Jaune. "He's harmless unless you piss him off or you're a vampire." Junior's expression seemed to relax, but only for a moment. "But I didn't come here to talk. I need to buy some gear."

Junior crossed his arms. "So, what'll it be then," he asked, still sceptical about the group. Jaune wasn't sure about him either. Ruby seemed to hide behind Jaune as did Weiss.

"How much for a scythe," Yang asked as she pointed to a barrel containing the previously mentioned weapon. "I need several, and we're willing to pay upfront." Her charisma seemed to be doing its work. Jaune wasn't sure how well it was going to work on Junior.

Junior rubbed his beard. "One-hundred-forty coins per," he proposed, with a shit-eating grin.

 _That's pretty high, even for a scythe. Probably because of whatever happened with Yang. Maybe I should step in?_

 _Here it goes._

"Aye," Jaune spoke up before Yang could even try negotiating. "As a fellow weaponsmith, I call bullshit on those prices." Junior's expression immediately soured. As did everyone else's.

"Jaune..." Ruby whispered from behind, tugging on his sleeve. She didn't want to have this argument, and neither did Jaune. Even Weiss seemed to back down from the confrontation.

"Listen, kid," Junior began in an almost hostile tone. "That's what I'm selling them for. So take it or leave it."

 _This guy's a joke. My dad would have run him out of town with those prices. He's not even worth trying to negotiate._

"Then we'll leave it," Jaune concluded and turned away. "Come on." Weiss and Ruby followed right behind him, and eventually Yang as well.

...

"Jaune," Yang growled as she spun him around and pushed him against a wall. "What was that?! I could I have gotten him to go lower!" She was pissed and on the verge of her eyes flashing red. Ruby and Weiss both cowered and stepped back from the argument.

"No, you couldn't have," Jaune countered, stepping up to Yang. His taller and larger figure dwarfed the blonde. She seemed to back down with Jaune's stand. "He's obviously gouging his prices, and negotiating wouldn't have worked. He's got a grudge against you. I've dealt with merchants like him before, and they're not worth it." He looked over at Ruby. "Besides, I can make you a scythe if you bring me the materials, Ruby." The Reaper, looking stunned at the moment, only managed a nod. "I thought we could find a cheap one in the city, but I was wrong."

"Fine," Yang exhaled, she ran a hand through her hair and backed off. "Thank's for looking out for us, I guess. We'll grab the stuff you need and bring them to you."

"Good," Jaune replied, glancing down at Ruby. "I just need a haft and a steel ingot. It'll probably be one of the best scythes you'll ever have, Ruby." The little girls face immediately brightened up.

"Really," Ruby nearly screamed out of pure excitement. The Reaper leapt into Jaune's arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "Thank you-thank you-thank you!" Her grip was really tight.

 _Okay, can't breathe now!_

Jaune tapped on Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby, can't breathe," he wheezed as his vision started fading.

 _Between Nora and Ruby, they're going to kill me before I get done in by a monster!_

"Oh, sorry," Ruby nervously chuckled as she let go of him. Jaune took in a deep breath.

 _Oum, she's strong!_

"Alright," Jaune took in another breath. "Let's head to Alexandre's place before class starts up." They had maybe another hour and a half before they needed to return. Or they would face Professor Goodwitch's wrath.

...

The walk to Alexandre's shop was filled with some small talk. Plans for the weekend and possibly next week. There was some debate about which member of the group's weapons was the best. It ended with a draw between, Nora, Sun, and Pyrrha since they had either the biggest, most powerful or the most versatile weapons.

The group stopped in front of Alexandre's shop. The forge seemed to be active today since the chimney was billowing out smoke and the striking of a hammer could be heard within. Hopefully, Alexandre had already put the finishing touches on Jaune's armour, and he could just pick it up.

"Arc," Weiss began with an interrogating tone. "When you mentioned Alexandre, you forgot to inform me that it was Alexandre Hepheastoun. The Master Smith of Vale!"

 _Well, it wasn't important at the time! It's not a huge deal anyway._

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Weiss," Jaune quipped, trying to be a smartass. "We're going to Alexandre Hepheastoun's shop." Weiss just gave him a dull look in response. Ruby giggled, adding to the Heiress' annoyance.

Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "It doesn't matter. This was my destination, anyway."

 _That makes it easy. It would have sucked if we had to run halfway across the city for a single item._

"Come on guys," Ruby urged as she pulled on Jaune's sleeve. "I want to see Jaune's armour!" The girl was practically dragging him closer to the door. Her excitement causing her to pronounce every syllable on its own.

Yang snorted, "You might want to listen to her Jaune," she suggested, wearing her trademark grin. "Ruby will start foaming at the mouth!" Jaune did not doubt that as a possibility.

Jaune knocked on the door once. No response. He hit the door several more times, loudly enough that a corpse could hear it. Alexandre was most likely in his shop, and his work would have been too loud to hear the light rapping of someone's knuckles.

"I'm coming - I'm coming," someone called out from inside the building.

The door cracked open, and Alexandre peered out. This time he didn't look hungover after a night of drinking. He was just covered in soot and appeared to have jumped into a pile of coal dust. His face was coated in a thick layer of the substance, and only his eyes were free from it.

"Ah, Jaune," Alexandre began. "I'm glad you're here..." He looked over at the girls and nodded to them. "...with company nonetheless." The Smith stepped away from the door allowing the group to enter. "If you'll follow me, I have your armour in my workshop. The rest of you can browse while we speak. And if you find something you like, don't hesitate to ask."

Jaune followed Alexandre into the workshop. The forge radiating a blistering heat from within. Pure white magicka flames billowed up from a source beneath the coke. He had seen this forge when it wasn't running, but now, it looked like a master artisan's workplace as he painted on a canvas.

On the table in the centre of the room lay the armour. White gold plates neatly organised from the helmet to the sabatons. Next to the plates sat leather under armour and chainmail. To top it off, a black cape that wrapped around the neck and covered the shoulders.

Jaune lifted the chest plate with both hands. The white and gold metal was perfectly polished and oiled to give it a shine. The twin crescent moons stood out as the centrepiece to the whole design.

"Try the armour on and see how it fits," Alexandre said as he polished a piece of steel.

Jaune slipped on the leather padding. It tightly wrapped around his trousers but was flexible enough that he could crawl or touch his toes. The brown leather must have been treated a certain way to give it flexibility while not giving up protection.

Next, the chainmail over his chest. Rings of metal would have guarded against cutting, but when paired with the leather. Both would protect from cuts and blows with blunt objects. Jaune had never used chainmail before, but this would cover the gaps between his armour where the plates couldn't.

Finally, the plates. Some of them were almost a half-inch thick in places! They were segmented for mobility with the only piece that came as one being the chest plate. The armour was form-fitting and wrapped tightly around the leather that made up for the gaps in his joints. Lastly, the visored barbute-style helmet that fit Jaune's head perfectly. The leather padding on the inside cushioned his skin from the metal.

Once the suit was on, he tested for flexibility, hopping up and down - doing push-ups, and a few other exercises and found no problems. The suit was pretty damn heavy, however. Jaune would need to do some conditioning or maybe level up a few times to get his Strength up.

He focused and visualised the stats in his head.

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundum is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

"So how do you like the armour," Alexandre asked, sitting down in a chair just across the room. "I think the Mage will like it too." Jaune blushed at the mention of Weiss.

 _I hope she does._

"You do good work, Alexandre," Jaune answered with a chuckle. He moved his fingers to test the range of motion. "My level is too low to properly use the armour, but it's damn good!"

 _I can just use my breastplate in the meantime. Maybe I'll reforge it tomorrow and just use that until I can farm enough Exp._

"Hey, it's why I'm the best," he replied, taking a swig from a bottle.

...

Jaune left the workshop with Alexandre right behind him. He could hear Ruby going on about something most likely regarding one of the many weapons in the shop. Weiss and Yang were mumbling in response and were just listening to the girl ramble.

Alexandre quickly stepped around him and walked into the shop area. "Ladies," he began in overtly dramatic fashion. "I present to you my creation." Jaune rounded the corner to show off his armour.

"Oh, let me see it," Ruby shouted. In a flash of red and rose petals. Ruby nearly tackled Jaune as she examined the armour. "IT'S EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!" Jaune was glad he was wearing a helmet to block out her voice. "Its got a barbuta with a visor! A cape! Chainmail over leather! IT'S PERFECT!" Ruby continuously ran around him, inspecting literally every piece on the armour.

"Okay, Rubes," Yang stepped, grabbing Ruby by the hood. "You can ogle Jaune later, but leave some for the rest of us." She flashed him a coy grin. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks," Jaune said while pulling off his helmet. Once off, he restored order to his hair due to the onset of 'helmet head.' "It's not friendly to the hair, however!"

"Hence the reason why I don't wear helmets," Yang concurred. "But, what do you think, Ice Queen?" Weiss glared at Yang before setting her eyes on Jaune's armour.

"It suits you." Was the only thing she could come up with. The girl turned to the counter, producing an object. "I would like to purchase this," Weiss requested. She set a bottle of oil down on the counter. It seemed to be a simple bottle of lubricant used for oiling blades. High quality, too, meaning expensive.

"You know, Weiss, any oil works for swords," Jaune advised. "There's no point in buying the most expensive stuff when they have something just as good at Beacon."

"He's got a point, Mage," Alexandre agreed, stepping behind the counter. "As long as you don't use vegetable oil, you're good."

"I understand," Weiss said as she dug out her coin purse. "But, Myrtenaster requires the best. And I will only use the best for it." Jaune and Alexandre shared a glance. Unsure of her rationale, they decided to not voice any opposition.

"It's your coin," Jaune uttered. He set his payment for the armour on the table. "The five-thousand Lien for the armour, Alexandre."

The Smith grabbed the bag and checked the weight. "It's all there," he concluded, tucking the purse beneath the counter. "If you guys need any repairs to your blades or armour, you know where to find me." Jaune nodded in understanding.

The group all filed out of the shop one by one. Jaune being the last to leave and closing the door behind him. Stepping back out onto the busy street welcomed a much more bustling town than there had been previously. Some of the passing citizens glanced in wonder as they noticed Jaune's heavy armour.

"We should be getting back to the academy," Weiss suggested. "Classes may be starting soon, and I do not wish to be late."

"Should we run back," Yang suggested.

"Yeah."

* * *

 **There, I'm done now so I can go play Skyrim or some other shit. I haven't even touched my Xbox in the last month. And I need to destress after putting in some work!**

 **Also... Do I curse too much? I feel like I'm _the_ motherfuckin', Gordon Ramsey, whenever I open my mouth or in any dialogue such as this. But, I don't care! **

* * *

**Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **Active Debuff**

 **Aura Exhaustion**

 **Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.**

 **Gear:**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Finally, I'm done with this chapter. I was trying to decide whether or not it should be longer than what I already have, but I decided to keep it how it is. There was no point in over-doing it.**

 **This chapter mainly deals with Weiss and Jaune's first lessons with magic. Some other world-building concepts along with historical institutions in this world as well. Next week, I'll get to the fun stuff, when I have Jaune forge Ruby's scythe and rebuild his armour.**

* * *

Pulling his locker open, Jaune considered whether or not to wear any of his armour. The breastplate still needed to be repaired, meaning he needed to pound the metal back out or melt the entire thing down. It could be done in a single night or over the weekend, but he needed to also work on a scythe for Ruby.

He grabbed the breastplate with both hands and took a long look at it, visualising the condition and the stats of the piece.

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level 10**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 21**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Defence: 16**

 **Constitution: 22**

 **Debuff:**

 **Damaged**

 **The damaged plate is more susceptible to being pierced from a weapon. A well-placed war hammer or even a bodkin arrow will punch through the plate.**

 _Arrgghhh... It's not even worth it! Just better to melt it down after I'm done with Weiss. I can't even wear it like this! The chest piece is all caved in!_

Jaune tossed his breastplate back into his locker. Nobody else was in here to hear all of the commotion going on. Notably, the loud clang as the metal slammed into the locker. That would have drawn plenty of unwanted attention to him, and he didn't need any more of that. Any attention from Cardin was most undesirable.

Luckily Cardin had made himself scarce around the academy lately, so Jaune didn't have to deal with him. Apparently, Professor Goodwitch saw that allowing Yang to beat the shit of him was punishment enough. Jaune wanted to get his own licks in as well before the semester came to a close in a few months.

Jaune didn't want to hurt Cardin. Well, actually, he wanted to hurt him. But Jaune more or less wanted to humiliate Cardin in Combat Class. Because attacking an already injured person was the best way to prove you were tough. Once Jaune had fully recovered, the gloves were going to come off.

It would be an excellent way to test out his newest ability too. The Longinuslanze Testament was the name given to the power. Which was weird since Jaune barely knew what a lance looked like. He assumed it was like a halberd or some kind of spear. Or a mix of both.

But the ability seemed to be based around the same premise as Arclight. Another way to fight the undead or monsters. One being an AOE attack affecting everything in the surrounding area, and the other was a summonable weapon.

What intrigued Jaune the most about the Longinuslanze Testament was the additional effects it had on him. It would never miss, and it would sunder all armour upon contact. Which was awesome. Maybe it would give him an edge if he ever needed to go up against Pyrrha? That woman seems to be an absolute monster concerning combat.

 _I should talk to her more actually. Might help me get over my inability to talk to girls. And she's kind of a third wheel compared to everyone else. I can't imagine how boring it must have been during her quest with Sun and Blake. Pyrrha's like the more mature version of Ruby. If they combined both Weiss' personality and Ruby's, you would get Pyrrha._

Jaune looked back down into his locker. His brand new set of gear was tucked into the space with his other set of armour. There was no point in wearing that either because it slowed him down due to the weight and his stats being too low. He could wear the leather under armour, but for whatever Weiss had planned for him, it was best not to wear anything too expensive.

He looked at himself through the mirror. His chest was still bruised in most areas, and some of the blotches took on a brownish-green appearance. It was healing, at least. His Aura had recovered a little more since this morning, too. Breaking the halfway mark at fifty-four per cent.

The Aura regeneration debuff was still active. It wouldn't go away until his Aura had fully regenerated. Something that proved to be very irritating for the boy.

 _I wish it would just go away so I could go back to questing. I'm getting bored just having to sit around all day and do nothing. I feel useless. I can't be myself while this debuff is active._

"Ugghhh," Jaune let out a grunt of frustration.

 _I need to go find Weiss soon._

Jaune shut the locker after slipping on his shirt. Just some simple cloth would suffice for this training session. Weiss didn't wear armour either, but, instead, she had spells to protect her and Jaune didn't have that kind of fancy stuff. Except for his shield spell.

To Jaune, magical wards were too unpredictable for him. He heard of flesh spells before but never tried them out, and the premise was simple. It was merely meant to provide a barrier against weapons or magic. Much like regular amour, but flesh spells were composed of pure magicka.

The issue with making something that was supposed to be composed out of an ethereal substance is that it can fail. The ways it can fail are plentiful. Your magicka reserves could become depleted, the spell could wear off, or you could lose focus and let your lack of concentration on the incantation dispell it. And it becomes more of an issue when you do not have any protection other than cloth, and you are reliant on magical wards. You have no, 'plan b,' if you rely on them.

Good ole fashioned steel, however. That material is solid no matter what. So long as you take care of the metal and don't let it oxidise, you are good. The best part, you don't have to concentrate when wearing it. You just need to be able to fit the stat requirements and can run around all day with constant protection.

...

Weiss had determined she and Jaune were going to commandeer Professor Goodwitch's arena for their first lesson. He wasn't sure how Weiss had managed to do that, but Jaune was going to go along with it. There weren't any lessons being held there this afternoon either.

Hopefully, Professor Goodwitch gave her blessing and allowed them some time in the arena. It would have been really embarrassing to get caught in a place where they should not have been. Not to mention what people would think of the most unpopular knight in the school getting found with a mage sneaking into a deserted section of the academy.

Professor Goodwitch would have thrown a fit, and deal out the worst punishment imaginable. Given how Professor Goodwitch hands out her punishments and the fact she is a terrifying person. Jaune did not want to get on her bad side. Especially since she seemed to enjoy corporeally punishing people by either smacking them over the head with her wand or using some sort of spell to equal effect. Neither of those was preferable.

The arena was just outside the main hall, so it was a shorter walk to there compared to the women's dorms. While it was connected to the great hall, the stadium was more accessible from the courtyard. But given that it was a higher traffic area, he was more likely to run into someone he knew and end up wasting more time. Weiss was also very specific about what time Jaune was supposed to show up. And he didn't want to get an entire lecture about being on time for a lesson.

Walking through the halls, Jaune took note of some of the many students. Most had dressed down and out of their uniforms. Some still wore their robes and appeared to have just recently left classes. A few were wearing their combat gear, looking as though they might head out on a quest or begin training with their respective weapons.

Ever since questing started up for the first-year students. Most of the class was off doing training, but few decided to begin heading out on quests. The first day back at the academy, Jaune noticed there was still plenty of students wandering around doing nothing. Professor Peach's class and Dr Oobleck's lecture were practically empty, which were the only classes where second-years and third-years attended in majority alongside the first-years. Every one of them was missing. It left Jaune and some of his friends as the only students present.

He noticed Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, all heading towards the doors leading to the central courtyard. Nora gave Jaune a wave while boisterously yelling, "Hi, Jaune!" Ren acknowledged him with a nod. And Pyrrha politely waved.

Jaune gave a two-finger salute and kept going. Luckily, they seemed to be busy and didn't care to start a conversation. He didn't want to either. Jaune figured he had maybe ten minutes before he absolutely needed to be there for the training session.

Leaving the main hall and crossing over an adjacent clearing. Jaune was met with more students. A few teachers as well were among the groups. Jaune spotted a group of second-year students telling a story to a group of first-years.

The second-years hadn't put the students to sleep yet like Professor Port, so that was a good sign.

 _I swear the man can put an entire army to sleep just by opening his mouth! Who goes on a forty-minute rant about how he managed to kill a beezle! And at least half of the story is embellished into the realm of fiction!_

There was some inkling or semblance of strategy for monster hunting when it came to his stories. But to find that strategy, one must root through and decipher it. Usually, it was how he killed or rendered the monster incapacitated. But you still needed to sort through his exaggerations to cherry-pick the most appropriate ways for a plan.

At least Dr Oobleck just told you where you could read up on everything. Even if you couldn't understand him, one was able to swing by the library and grab some books. Professor Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin took the time to explain everything in painstaking detail. But they still wanted their students to reread the information surrounding the lessons.

...

Once he crossed the courtyard, Jaune found himself in front of the coliseum. The damn thing was massive. At least five stories high in some places. It was large enough to hold crowds into the thousands for tourneys and even gladiatorial matches between representatives of the academies.

Jaune pulled the massive doors open and slipped inside. As expected, this place was going to be mostly deserted. Students usually reserved the smaller training arenas for themselves and their friends. Those were easier to maintain due to their smaller size, and wouldn't be too expensive to repair if the students ended up damaging anything.

Pushing through another set of doors, Jaune was greeted with the main arena. The sandpit was cleaned recently and raked over, giving the space an excellent finish. None of the sand seemed to be disturbed and looked to be in superb condition.

Weiss stood in the centre of the circle. Tapping her right foot impatiently waiting for Jaune to arrive. "You're late," she spoke up, giving Jaune one of her stares.

 _How did she know I was here?! And I'm not even late!_

Jaune lept over the railing into the pit. His landing wasn't perfect, stumbling once he made contact with the sand. "First of all, I'm not late," Jaune listed with his fingers. "And second, I'm ten minutes early!"

 _I was courteous enough to show up early for this! I take offence to that!_

"Ugghh, fine," Weiss groaned. "I guess I cannot chastise you for being late! Typically, it is expected of someone to arrive at an engagement fifteen minutes prior. But, given we are not in Atlas, I cannot project onto you."

Are they that strict about punctuality? I'm glad Vale is a little more laid back! But Weiss probably had that hammered into her head since she was a kid.

"Why the arena, again," Jaune jumped to another tangent. "The library or one of the smaller training rooms would have been fine." He scratched the back of his head while doing a full three-sixty of the room. "It's private, but are we even allowed in here?"

"Ms Goodwitch allowed us to use the arena for today," Weiss answered. "I explained how someone with as little experience in magic as you could cause quite a bit of damage if they were to use one of the smaller training rooms." Towards the end, she even had a smirk on her lips.

"Heeyyyy," Jaune whined at the burn. "I'm not bad! I know how to cast spells, they just never work!" It was bullshit too! Hundreds of hours of effort to try the same incantations over and over resulted in nothing. Shields spells worked so far, but he still needed to practice with those too.

"If you say so," Weiss mumbled under her breath. "But I was not lying about the damage inexperienced magic users can cause."

 _Oh, so she wasn't making fun of me!_

"Do you remember Professor Ozpin's first lecture," she asked. "When he said, 'magic can destroy you if you are not able to control it.'" She wasn't quoting him verbatim, but Jaune was getting the gist.

"Wait! So that can actually happen?!" Jaune was dreading her answer. Weiss would have been one of those people to give him the worst possibilities upfront before saying the good news.

Weiss nodded. "Yes, many novice mages are prone to accidents when they begin their studies," she explained as she began pacing back and forth. "Think of mages as venomous snakes. Younger vipers tend to inject all of their venom in one strike. While the older more experienced of them can control how much they release." It was an excellent analogy. But it didn't cast mages in a good light.

"So, what would happen if a mage released all of their magic at once," Jaune asked for clarification.

"Among the many painful ways to die," Weiss began listing what might be some of Jaune's greatest fears. "You run the risk of being: vaporised, eviscerated, blown to pieces, turned inside-out, amputation, decapitation, and sterilisation." She finished with her expression not even willing to flinch. "Then again, you might accidentally transport yourself into another dimension."

 _WHAT!_

Jaune couldn't find the words. How could he hope to craft a response to that? She was totally serious about it too! "Uhhhh..." Jaune's brain fizzled and died. His face contorted into one of shock and mortification.

"Yes, shocking isn't it," she asked, rhetorically, with that same unflinching expression. "But don't worry, those are the worst-case scenarios. Most likely, you'll end up burning the palms of your hands. Usually, even those minor injuries are a rare occurrence. Major injuries tend to occur when you are using higher-level incantations or attempting to bend space-time. But frankly, that is far beyond your ability and even my own."

 _That's reassuring. Hopefully, I don't break the space-time continuum. Weiss wouldn't let me hear the end of it._

"Is there anything else I should know," Jaune pushed further. He didn't want to leave out any potential gaps that could form. Not to mention the potential risk of death if he screwed up badly enough. Getting blown to pieces would have been the epitome of Jaune's luck.

She nodded. "I figured using Ms Goodwitch's arena would allow us more privacy," Weiss explained, her mood turning sombre. "You clearly understand the public's opinion on mages, and I would prefer if we were left alone."

 _That seems like a solid reason. I know Weiss was hurt when Cardin made fun of her for being a mage._

"Yeah," Jaune nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "The last person we want showing up is Cardin." This would be the worst time for Jaune's words to come back and bite him in the ass. Isn't the bad guy supposed to show up as soon as you mention him?

"Especially since my Champion is unarmed, and I doubt Cardin would attempt fighting by himself," Weiss spat as her veil of a calm demeanour seemed to dissipate.

"Champion?"

 _What the hell is that supposed to mean? I thought I was her partner._

Weiss' face seemed to momentarily flush in the dim light. "Champions, or, Seconds, are a mage's chosen protector, or partner," she explained. "The practice of choosing a guardian began in Vale originally. Before the rise of this system, mages would duel each other for supremacy and as a way to show their prowess in magic. This led to the deaths of thousands of mages due to our class' stubborn pride. And when mages began dwindling in number, the loss of a single member of our class would continuously destabilise the local region. To preserve the population of magic users, kings drew upon the practice of the armies of their time. It was common practice for a commander to choose their best soldier and have them fight the opposing army's chosen one. This system lessened the amount of bloodshed between warring factions and led to the swift end of any disagreements."

"So, I would have to fight for you if someone challenged you," Jaune nervously asked.

 _Please don't tell me I have to fight to the death whenever someone decides they want to show off! With my luck, I would end up facing the strongest knight out there and get my ass handed to me._

"No," Weiss replied, her mood changing to an indifferent one. "The practice of battling for supremacy died out several centuries ago. Mages nowadays prefer compromising and cooperating with each other, but the need for Champions remained. Now, it is merely kept for nostalgic purposes and as a way to show companionship between members of the mages and the warriors."

"So, I'm a member of a dying institution," Jaune replied.

 _Hopefully, I don't get dragged to every party she gets invited too as her personal bodyguard. I'm not some manservant after all._

"Yes," she agreed with him. "But other than that. You are associating with a mage to further both parties interests."

 _I wonder what she's getting out of this._

"However, before we begin," Weiss continued. Her tone becoming solemn, providing Jaune with a cue to be quiet and listen to what she had to say. The young woman's expression shifted from her firey confidence to a more timid nervousness. "I would like to be honest with you about something..." She turned away, looking off to the side for a moment or two. "I have not told anybody else this, since my arrival in Vale. And I am saying this to you in confidence, so not another soul can know!"

"Okay," Jaune agreed. "What's it about?"

Jaune was growing nervous as well. There were a million things Weiss could say to him, and he had no idea what it could be. This was really the second deep-ish conversation the two had ever had too. Most, if not all, had been debates or objective discussions, trying to get to a point. Weiss' demeanour whenever she tried to talk to him about anything important, never let their conversations grow that deep anyway. The first time they had a heart to heart was because Weiss was pissed off at Cardin and it forced her to drop her barriers.

"I have only shared with you the fact my family is a prestigious member of Atlesian society," she began, summoning whatever confidence she had left. "However, that is not the entire truth... It's only an understatement."

"Go on..." Jaune was already aware she was wealthy, given the little information he had on the girl.

Weiss glared up at him, cheeks flushing a bright red colour. "I'M TRYING YOU DUNCE, DON'T RUSH ME," she shouted in embarrassment at the boy. Jaune had to hold back a smile, seeing his crush get all embarrassed like that was too cute. "It's the fact my family is not just another member of the nobility or a wealthy family with titles and their hands in everybody's pockets! The Schnee's are the head of Atlas. We are royalty!"

If Jaune had water in his mouth right now, he surely would have spat it all out. This revelation was literally a bomb that had just been dropped in his lap. It caused the boy to just take a second and think about this news. Because he never expected one of his friends to be royalty. What would prepare a person for something like this? And Jaune always thought she was just a noble's child who was allowed to attend school in Vale.

"W-When you said, 'head of Atlas,' you meant..." Jaune tried to ask a question, stuttering with the obvious presence of confusion in his tone.

"My father is the king, and I am in line for the throne," Weiss finished Jaune's thought.

"So, when Sun calls you, 'princess,' you're actually a capital 'P,' Princess," Jaune continued, trying to wrap his head around this whole thing.

"Yes," Weiss insisted loudly. "How hard is that to understand!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Jaune replied, mimicking Weiss' tone. He took a step towards her. "Maybe because I wasn't ready for one of my friends to straight up tell me, she's a Princess! How I am I supposed to believe that anyway?!" Jaune brought a hand to the back of his head, turning away from the girl slightly. "Anybody can say they're a member of a royal family. Not the first time it's happened too."

"I know that," Weiss said, calming down for a second. Her tone keeping its timidity. The Mage's hands looked to be shaking. She dug into a pocket, fishing something out. "I can't expect someone to take that at face value, so here." Weiss tossed him a small object.

Jaune caught the pendant in his right hand. It was a very hefty object. Examining the piece, Jaune noted its features. It was a round disk, nearly the size of his palm. Entirely made from pure silver. In the centre, there was what looked to be an elaborately done snowflake carved into the piece. The rest of the pendant had reliefs etched into the metal, ranging from animals to irregularly shaped lines.

Funny thing is, Jaune recognised the symbol. It was on the grimoire he picked up. The one by Archmage James Ironwood. The two sharing the same emblem could easily be a coincidence. The place where Weiss learned to use magic could have given these to their students. She might have been trying to pass off this piece of jewellery as the royal seal for Atlas.

But, Weiss wasn't the type of person who would even attempt to lie about this. So, that put Jaune in a tough place. He needed confirmation on this. Someone who would know.

 _Ozpin would be able to tell me..._

 _Go figure... The girl of my dreams is either a liar or way out of my league._

"It's the royal seal used to identify members of my family," Weiss explained.

"I guessed it was..." Jaune tossed the pendant back to Weiss. "...but even if you are a Princess. What does that mean for us? Do I have to call you anything or-"

"No," Weiss cut him off. "We can continue to act cordially between our friends and us. I only wished to tell you, you could understand who exactly you are working with. J-Just don't allow it to change the way you act..." She paused for only a moment, balling her right fist up. "...I want to be treated normally!" She nearly shouted that last part. The moment the girl let those words leave her lips, she turned around with a blush that mimicked Ruby's cloak.

Jaune didn't know what to say. Her desperate attempt to keep someone she only knew for a few weeks to continue treating her normally really struck him. Right in the heart too. It made Jaune believe her a little bit more. He wasn't sure how much of it could really be an act. But he needed to reassure Weiss that he understood. Play the part for a while longer before going out to seek the truth.

Jaune let a breath out through his nose. "It's all right, Weiss," he said, trying to calm her nerves. "I get it... even if I wasn't expecting this to fall into my lap."

Weiss nodded to him, grabbing hold of her composure and standing up straight. The girl dug into her satchel, pulling out another object. It seemed to be a book. She turned back to Jaune and tossed it to him.

He caught it with both hands, not allowing it to be ruined by the sand. "What's this," Jaune asked as he skimmed over the cover. The textbook was bound in a reddish-brown leather with the corners of the covers beginning to wear. It read, Magicis Sanationis, or, Magical Healing if translated literally.

"Spell tome," Weiss answered, stepping back four paces. Her tone returning to its normal confidence. The gap was just large enough for there to be a proper duel without Jaune being able to close said gap. "With your ability to seemingly understand and then apply spells in one reading. I want you to learn that incantation, and we're going to practice using it." She crossed her arms. "Think of this session as conditioning. We're going to condition your body to better handle focusing magicka into a physical form much like how you would practice with swords or armour."

 _Okay..._

Jaune opened the book and skimmed through the prelim.

 _So, the incantation is, 'Sano,' or, 'Heal.' Sounds pretty simple to me. I just need to do the same thing I did with the shield spell. Considering, I'm just casting a healing spell, I shouldn't need to worry about Weiss throwing ice shards at me._

"Now this healing spell can be cast upon yourself and others," Weiss explained. "We're going to try both and see how you handle it."

 _How the hell do I cast it on myself?_

"Is there some sort of trick to this," Jaune reluctantly asked. "I've never used a spell on myself." Weiss' face grew into a contemplative one. Jaune wasn't sure what she was thinking.

 _Come on, Weiss. Use that brain of yours._

"I cannot say for certain," she answered, running her hand along her jawline. "I've never used healing magic before, so I'm unsure of any tricks that would work. The Restoration School is fundamentally different from the other two schools in theory and practice. But given it is still magic, I would attempt to cast it the same way."

 _So funnel magicka into your hands while saying the incantation. Got it!_

Jaune prepared himself to cast the spell. He was going to use Weiss as his target and hopefully would not kill her by accident. Although she probably wouldn't die. If it ended up injuring her than Jaune would be dealing with a 'Snow Demon.' That and if she was a princess, then there would be a lot more consequences for the boy.

 _Here it goes._

"Sano," Jaune whispered, his voice taking on resonance as the incantation left his lips. His body subconsciously drew magicka into his hands. The green light pooled in his palms, coating them in a miasma. A stream of light jettisoned out from within his hands.

Weiss began glowing a greenish-white colour as the spell did its work. Her expression did not change, remaining indifferent as she watched Jaune. The Knight continued pouring his concentration into maintaining the spell. Hopefully, this would show both of them he wasn't completely incompetent with magic.

"Continue holding the spell," Weiss urged. "If your concentration breaks for even a second, then the incantation will shatter."

 _Trying..._

As Jaune continued casting the spell, it was slowly tiring him out. The exhaustion was subtle at first, but as it dragged on, it felt as though Jaune was running miles while wearing full plate armour. Sweat began pooling on his brow, and his throat became dry. His legs felt like they were jelly.

 _Okay, can't do this anymore._

This glow in his hands flickered once. Twice. The spell broke, and Jaune fell to one knee. He coughed twice, nearly throwing up one of his lungs. Jaune kept sucking in air in large gasps, but it felt like it wasn't enough. He needed more.

How does Weiss do this every day? I feel like I ran a marathon - uphill, in the snow, while carrying someone on my back.

"That was an excellent first attempt," Weiss praised him, not moving from her spot. "You seem to be a natural when it comes to the Restoration School and the Manipulation School. However, you will need to practice with spells to more efficiently use them." She actually sounded pleased with Jaune's efforts.

 _I'm glad I'm a natural at this._

"So, keep casting spells," Jaune asked, still out of breath.

 _I've never felt this exhausted before. Kind of hungry too..._

"Yes," she replied. "The more use a spell gets, the more efficient the user becomes. If you use a spell enough, then the magicka requirement is reduced by a small margin at first. And if you continuously practice with the same incantation, then that reduction will grow. Some mages are capable of casting spells with negligible costs to their magicka."

So, if I keep using spells, then I just get better with them. I can't even feel my magicka reserves, but that had to have taken a lot out of me. I think I got a full minute of use out of that spell. What if I pour more magicka into it? Maybe it will be more potent? It would be the same amount of magicka in a larger quantity.

Jaune pushed himself up. His right hand pressing against his knee to give him the needed leverage. "Okay, let's go again," he pleaded, sounding much more confident this time. Sweat still pouring off his body.

 _Okay, Jaune, keep practising spells. Impress Weiss. Profit._

Magic pooled in his arms. The green miasma glowed even brighter than before. The air surrounding Jaune's forearms shuddered and distorted. "Sano," he whispered, his voice echoing with the power of the incantation.

He pointed both of his hands towards Weiss. The miasma danced through the air as it flew towards the Mage. Once it made contact, her body began glowing. This time it seemed to have an effect on her. Was she becoming... flustered?

Weiss' cheeks were flushed a deep red. She seemed to have trouble standing up. The Mage did her best to stifle a gasp. That was not the intended effect.

 _Okay, this is weird. Not sure what to say._

"Uhhh, Weiss," he uttered, clearly concerned for the Mage. Jaune stopped casting the spell. This time he wasn't as exhausted as he was previously, but he hadn't cast the spell for any longer than ten seconds.

 _Hopefully, I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, I've never seen anybody act like that before. If she's pissed at me, then any hope of even being friends with her is out the window. Then I'm going to look like an idiot!_

She held one of her fingers up, silencing him from speaking any further. Weiss took in several breaths as she composed herself. Soon the blush dissipated, and her normal ardent shade took over.

 _Yeah, this is pretty awkward..._

"I-I'm fine, Arc," she stammered, still speaking in her same cold manner. "Healing magic has an unintended side effect creating the sensation of euphoria in the target. It was manageable when you cast Heal the first time, but the second time was much stronger."

 _Oh... So that's what happened. Then it must have felt good?_

"Hehehe," Jaune nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I-I kind of funnelled more magicka into the spell. I-I'm sorry if it hurt or was uncomfortable!"

 _Please don't be angry with me! I-I didn't mean it!_

"No, it's fine," Weiss insisted, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The feeling one gets when they are subjected to healing magic is analogous to taking a warm bath. Had it hurt, we wouldn't be having this conversation, and I would have tossed you to the other side of the room."

 _I wouldn't have liked that. I prefer the first one. It's less painful._

"Okay," Jaune said, chuckling again. "So, should we continue or call it a day? I'm feeling pretty tired after that second spell."

Weiss shook her head. "No, we have to practice using the spell on yourself," she urged. "That exhaustion your feeling is merely your magicka pool being used up. It is an arbitrary method to judge how much you have left. Someone with a lower Willpower stat might not be able to use their magicka as efficiently, and thus yours is being drained faster than normal."

"Alright," Jaune sighed. Resigning himself to furthering his exhaustion. He was feeling even more drained after the second spell. Now that he was thinking about it.

...

Jaune took up his stance. Okay, so how do I do this? He skimmed the book again. There was no mention of how he could focus the spell inward and on himself. Maybe it was the direction of his hands that mattered.

"Sano," he whispered the incantation for the third time. The magicka pooled in his palms, and instead of focusing it towards Weiss. He weaved it into a ball. The small grapefruit-sized sphere of condensed magicka floated in front of his chest.

 _Okay, try to focus it inward and see if that works._

He shifted his hands so they could face him. Jaune let the magicka sphere enter him and fuse with his body. He waited for something to happen.

Seconds passed, and still nothing.

 _Why is nothing happening?_

"Eeeerrgghhh," Jaune let out what was between a scream and a howl as a sudden shock ripped through his body. It was as if he had been struck by a thousand lightning bolts. The force behind it and the pain pinned him to the ground, and he couldn't find the strength to attempt standing up again.

"Arc," Weiss shouted as she ran over to him. She kneeled down next to him as he writhed in pain. "I need you to talk to me! What's wrong?!" Jaune could feel her hands on his shoulders as she shook him.

Jaune took in a breath, holding his gut in the vain hope he could dull the pain. "I-I don't know," he cried out, the after-effects were keeping him from constructing a full sentence. Tears fell from his eyes.

Weiss lifted his head and cradled it in her lap. "Shhhh," she consoled him. "Try to focus on your breathing." Jaune did just that.

They stayed like that for several minutes. Jaune continued to writhe, letting out the occasional groan. The pain would rise and fall with every breath he took. It tingled and shocked him more and more.

Eventually, the pain slowly dissipated to the point where Jaune couldn't feel anything. His chest and abs were numb, but it was feeling better now.

 _What was that? It hurt like hell._

Jaune sat up, still clutching his stomach. He didn't want to move too quickly lest the risk of passing out. And he didn't want to throw up because he was really feeling like doing just that.

"Weiss," Jaune groaned, with pain still in the back of his mind. "I think we should call it a day. There's no way I can keep going." He didn't want to be the quitter, but after that, there was no point in continuing this training session. Maybe after taking a short rest, he could go to the library and figure out what the hell just happened. Or he could go to the forge where he would be more at home.

"I understand," Weiss agreed, standing up and dusting herself off. "I'm not sure of what that was, but I think we need to be careful from now on. A simple healing spell should not have caused that." Yeah, you're not the one who felt it. I'm never doing that again! "We can take a break today, but I want to continue training. We should meet here when class ends every day."

"Yeah," Jaune mumbled, pushing himself to his feet. "That's fine."

"I think we should supplement our training with fencing practice as well," Weiss continued, heading to arena's exit. "While your swordsmanship is okay, you lack technique. Preferring to brawl or finishing your opponents in one strike when they have been stunned."

"What's wrong with my style," Jaune whined, following behind Weiss. "It's worked so far."

 _I only got the crap beat out of me because I was too weak or I blocked an arrow with my stomach._

"Frankly," Weiss began, listing her gripes against him. "It's sloppy, unprecise, and unfitting of one in your position. So I am seeing to it, personally, that you are whipped into shape."

 _Lovely..._

"And you are going to the infirmary," Weiss added on, making it sound like Jaune had no option but to accept. "I've already invested my time into training you, and I expect you to remain in top shape!"

"Really," Jaune complained, sounding like a child.

 _Why do we have to go back there?! That priestess is going to scold me for getting hurt again!_

* * *

 **I decided to end it here because I saw no point in dragging you guys any further. It wouldn't have been a good scene regardless and would have turned out like the last time he and Weiss went to the infirmary. So cutting it here was the best option.**

 **I also want to work on some of the other fics I'm writing. I haven't posted anything for a while for Beacon's Number One and The Lengths We Must Go To, so I want to get something up eventually. And making this a shorter chapter would have been the best plan.**

 **I'm also going to begin posting those fics on a rotational basis. I want to keep posting this fic on a weekly basis, but I'm going to rotate the others.**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **Active Debuff**

 **Aura Exhaustion**

 **Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level 10**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 21**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Defence: 16**

 **Constitution: 22**

 **Debuff:**

 **Damaged**

 **The damaged plate is more susceptible to being pierced from a weapon. A well-placed warhammer or even a bodkin arrow will punch through the plate.**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

* * *

 **Next update: When I get it done!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I would have gotten this done sooner if I didn't have a test this week.**

 **I don't really have much to put in the author note. This chapter is Jaune forging his sword and Ruby's new scythe. I bring Pyrrha into the story a little more along with Ren, but not much else is going on.**

 **In this chapter, I tried to be as realistic as possible with the sword making. Meaning I've had to put as much arm-chair swordsmithing into this chapter as I possibly could. The research I had to do for this chapter made up a bulk of the time wasted, before I could begin writing. And I did take liberties with the time it takes to make a sword. I know it couldn't be done in one day, but this is fantasy and real world bullshit doesn't always work the same way.**

 **But other than that. The chapter came out quite nicely and was easy to write.**

 **I've also decided to start playing Dark Souls recently. So RIP my controller.**

* * *

 **[Later That Night]**

Jaune was brought into a small waiting room inside the main administrative building of Beacon Academy. The woman sitting at the front desk gave a spiel about how Professor Ozpin would see him in a few minutes. He really didn't care about the wait. Jaune only cared about the information he was attempting to collect.

Weiss being a Princess, was a rather startling notion. Who could prepare themselves for something like that? It just wasn't something you would expect someone else to tell you as a regular secret. Jaune would have wholly preferred Weiss said she was shy or something along those lines. Hell, if the Mage said she was actually into girls over guys, Jaune would have been fine.

The primary issue when it came to Weiss' little secret was the secret itself. Jaune didn't know how to handle it. Sure, the girl said she wanted to be treated normally, but that did nothing to alleviate Jaune's own fears. He was literally working with the future sovereign of an entire nation. This left him anxious as any move he made could end up causing an entire clusterfuck to ensue where everybody was dragged into it.

This left Ozpin as the only man to give him some guidance on this problem.

The sound of the man's office door opening drew Jaune's attention away from his thoughts. There, the older man stood in the doorway with his cryptic gaze bearing down upon the boy. His lips curled into a slight smile as he stepped away from the door, welcoming Jaune inside.

"Mr Arc," the man said, gesturing for Jaune to enter.

"Um, yeah," Jaune replied, getting out of the chair and heading inside.

The Headmaster's office was quite spacious upon first glance. Around thirty feet in diameter with windows on all sides of this massive circle. On the far side of the room, only a desk and chair sitting there. It was a rather bland looking room now that Jaune had some time to think about it. But if the Headmaster wanted it, then it was his decision on decorations.

"So, Mr Arc," Ozpin began, heading to his chair and taking his seat. "What did you feel the need to discuss? It must have been important, considering your recent visit to the infirmary. I would have recommended you rest and follow the Priestess' instructions to the letter. She can be rather insistent..."

Jaune did feel pretty sore from earlier today. Having endured what he pictured as a similar pain to being struck by lightning wasn't something you could just shake off.

"I'm fine, Headmaster," Jaune replied, keeping his tone polite yet casual. "I just had a question... About, Weiss Schnee."

 _Kill me now... I really hope he doesn't think I'm asking about relationship advice._

The Headmaster's gaze remained unstirred. Jaune could feel the air of the room change slightly, giving him the impression the older man found this subject interesting. His own nervousness probably factored into it, but the Knight was sure. Any microexpressions coming from him may have given Jaune that impression.

"I see..." The man leaned back into his chair. "Then any questions you have about Ms Schnee, I would be glad to answer. Within reason, of course, but I'm sure you understand."

"Ok..." Jaune remained standing, only moving towards the desk. "I guess... How do I begin?"

"From the beginning..."

"Yeah..." Jaune took in a deep breath. "Weiss told me something earlier today... I wasn't sure if she was lying or not, but it's a huge thing, so I need someone else to confirm it... I can't take it as the truth!"

"I understand..." The Headmaster leaned forward. His voice was as calm as always. "Skepticism is a good quality to possess. I'm sure if this secret is as important as you say, it would be prudent to find out the truth over believing the words of another."

"Weiss kind of told me she was a princess," Jaune finally confessed. More like blurting out. "Like a Princess of Atlas..."

Several seconds of silence passed. Between the two of them, a pin could drop and both would easily hear it. Jaune's discomfort growing with every passing second.

"I see," Ozpin muttered, a smile showing at the corner of his lips. "Did she provide any proof?"

"Pendant, silver, about five inches wide, with a snowflake carved into the centre," Jaune described the piece, using his hands to mimic the shape. His hands beginning to shake.

"Hmm... And you still do not believe Ms Schnee," Ozpin asked. "She has shown you what she qualifies as proof of her identity."

"I don't know," Jaune replied. "Like... I want to. But I really don't. Everything she said sounds true to me, and Weiss doesn't joke around like that."

"Then Mr Arc," Ozpin began, standing up from his chair. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Weiss Schnee, First Heiress to the Throne of Atlas, Duchess of Mantle, Marquess of Gladsheim, and Magister of the Atlesian College of Magic is no liar." He stopped around the side of his table.

 _Fuck... What do I do now?_

It really started sinking in now. Jaune was way out of his league. How was he supposed to keep moving forward, knowing this about Weiss? Every single move Jaune had planned for the future needed to be reevaluated then scrutinised once again by peer review. It left Jaune with a lump beginning to form in his throat and a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"But do not fret, Mr Arc," Ozpin continued, noticing Jaune's obvious discomfort with the truth. "You were not the only one who found themselves anxious with this scenario. Ms Schnee shares some of your fears. More so, given her standing. She and I had a lengthy conversation over how she would reveal the truth about herself to a select few. Take it as a sign of your value to the Princess that she decided to be honest with you. Ms Schnee does not suffer fools..."

 **[Present: Two Days Later]**

The past few days were entertaining, to say the least. Nothing exciting happened. It was standard class stuff, more lessons on alchemy or monster hunting. The usual gimmicks between the members of Jaune's group were not surprising at all. Everyone coming together at meals to tell jokes and enjoying everyone's company. Weiss was still distant from everyone else, however.

Even between Weiss and Jaune, things were awkward for the pair. She barely talked to him since their first training session. If anything, Weiss only talked at him without giving the boy a chance to get anything in edgewise. Any other times they ran into each other, Weiss would excuse herself and go find anywhere else to be than beside him.

From what Jaune found, Weiss would spend almost all of her free time in the library. He visited her this morning to discuss some academically related topics but didn't really get anything in response. Most of the time, they sat there and studied texts. Weiss diligently worked on translating her scroll. Jaune read up on some magical theory. Not much in the way of conversation besides the occasional muttering to oneself.

Today, they met up after classes to work in Goodwitch's arena, but it was more Weiss telling him what to do, and Jaune shut up and listened. So it was a bit one-sided. But they got more practice in using their spells. Weiss had Jaune hold up a shield spell as she flung ice shards at him. And he did quite well according to Weiss as she seemingly enjoyed trying to hit him with javelins made from ice.

After they finished, Weiss then excused herself to go back to the library. Jaune was left mildly exhausted and hungry but slowly rejuvenated his energy over the last two hours. He was going to have a hectic weekend ahead of him starting now, and he needed to get on with it. Jaune just refocused his priorities to something else, which saved himself from the headache.

Closing the door to the forge behind him, Jaune stepped inside wholly. The wood-steel composite hatch shut with a bang. Small rays of light poured through the cracks of the door and cast god-rays across the room. The smoke and dust floating about amplified this effect.

The only other light came through the chimney. The small port-hole in the ceiling was cleared from any debris and would vent smoke just fine. Jaune was glad he didn't have to grab a broom and clean it out. Carbon particles have this tendency to clump together as soot. And if left for long enough, it would either fall back down your chimney or prevent ventilation.

He took a quick glance around the room, finding the forge met most of his expectations. It was your run of the mill workshop with all of the bits and baubles one needed to forge weapons and armour. Supposedly, it didn't get much use, though. Most heroes or most people didn't specialise in blacksmithing and had no need to ruin their own weapons when they could pay someone else to do that for them. Luckily for Jaune, he was a jack of about three trades. Forging was one of them.

The Beacon Forge was a medium-sized shed that measured about twenty by twenty feet. It was a bit larger than the smithy at his home but was of the same quality. The stone-bordered forge sat in the centre of the room. Attached to it were the bellows and a nearby anvil. The pit was dark, no embers radiated from within. A cold dark abyss filled with clinkers from previous forgings.

On the far side of the room, sat a large smelter. The stone back seemed to be intact, but the clay shell covering it was cracking in places and needed some repairs. But it would do for now, since he only needed the crucible and the coal funnel to be intact.

Jaune ran his hands across a set of instruments. The tools were of high quality and looked as though they hadn't been used in some time. They were not some cheap cast iron tools either. Somebody paid good money for the tongs, hammers, chisels, and the various other devices. They were made from good old fashioned steel.

"Somebody neglected you," Jaune muttered to himself, taking account of the condition of the smithy. It was a shame. This forge would have served the academy dutifully, but it was sadly left to gather dust. Not even given the love a forge like this deserved.

But why didn't they employ a blacksmith to run this place? The academy would have had the money to hire a journeyman or master if they felt like splurging. Hundreds of students needed their weapons repaired and having a resident craftsman here would have been an asset. The first-years may not have been able to pay for the same quality gear as a second or third-year, but they could have at least afforded to have a simple broadsword repaired.

He had no definite answer for it. Maybe it was the mercenary-esque policy of paying your own way. Having a resident smith didn't mean you would have to lower your prices. They could have gotten a discount if they bought materials in bulk and adjusted prices to resemble the market value. Or they wanted students to become more well-rounded. Having multiple trades to your name would increase your value to society and serve as a backup in the event you failed out of Beacon.

Jaune picked up an overturned chair and set it off to the side. The layer of dust coating the furniture turned his hands grey. Actually, now that he thought about it. Everything in this room had been covered in a fine layer of dust and dirt.

He grabbed a broom and began cleaning up. "A messy forge is the sign of an inferior smith!" Jaune repeated the words of his father. The mantra had been drilled into the heads of each of the Arc children from a young age. That wasn't even the only saying among them. Their mother had her own list of rules to follow at all times.

 _Maybe, I'll visit them someday..._

 _Or send a letter back home. Mom needs to know that I'm alive at least. Joan might try to track me down if I send one, however. Jaune could see it now. The first time he sends a letter to home. His sisters kidnap the courier and torture him for information on where he got the message from._

It was just a random thought in passing. Jaune wasn't feeling homesick or anything. He cared about how his family was doing even though he just up and vanished on them. Nicholas might have been angry with him, but considering he was seventeen, Jaune had every right to leave home and strike out on his own.

His sisters would have tried to get by as best as they could. Their mother would have kept them busy with work. Joan might have had to step up and work the forge in Jaune's absence, and his younger siblings would have been given the farm work Jaune left behind. But life wouldn't change much with him gone.

With all of these thoughts hitting Jaune at once, it made the boy realise how much he had on his plate. There was what Ozpin told him about Weiss, which was an entire problem on its own. Then the issue of his family. Simply keeping in touch with family members was nothing compared to having an actual princess being one of your friends.

...

After Jaune finished being struck with a wave of melancholy. He cleaned the room up and opened a few windows. The extra ventilation was much appreciated since he wasn't breathing in dust anymore. And the room was looking brand new after he was done with it.

The floor was actually cobbled stone and mortar. Not the layer of dirt with the occasional rock sticking out of it. And it had remained in good condition ever since it was abandoned.

 _Maybe I can make this place my own little space? It's nice, and nobody else really uses it. I'm pretty sure the Headmaster wouldn't be opposed to it._

The forge still needed to be cleaned, however. There was a mass of blackened material stuck to the base of the trough. Those clinkers needed to be broken apart and then disposed of to make room for either more coal or coke. If Jaune neglected to do so, then the build-up would be even worse as time went on.

Clinkers are the result of burning any sort of carbon-based fuel such as coal, coke, or charcoal. It is merely a composite of residual carbon, silicates, metal scales, and everything that is not fuel. When these ingredients don't burn away, they collect in the base of your forge or stove as a glass composite.

In Jaune's experience, it is a simple process of picking clinkers out of the trough and doing away with them. But in this case, there was a solid layer of glass sticking to the bottom of the pit. About two to three inches deep. Someone was lazy and didn't do the simple chore of cleaning out the forge when you're done with it.

It made him really angry. First, someone abandoned the forge. That would have been enough to have any smith turn over in their grave. Second, they didn't even clean the damn trough out. Now Jaune was stuck having to do it. Third, he was possibly the only person who cared. All of the abuse compounded together to reduce this workshop to a shell of its former glory.

Grabbing a hammer, Jaune went to work on breaking the clinkers. Due to the waste merely being glass, it was a simple process. Just tapping the clinker with a hammer was enough to break it apart. There was no need to bring Nora in and have her go to town on it. Although it would have been an entertaining sight.

Jaune brought over a bin to remove a large chunk of the clinker. The largest piece weighed about twenty pounds. Having weighed that much, one could picture how long this forge had been neglected. Most people were inexperienced with blacksmithing and may have not thought to clean the trough out. The trade was very specialised so that may have been the reason why.

 _Forge is clean, so what's next?_

Jaune looked around the room for anything else that needed to be dealt with.

 _Swept up. Cleaned tables. What about the coal or coke if they have any?_

He checked a large bin sitting next to the smelter. Opening it up revealed what Jaune was looking for. The bin was separated into two containers. One with coke and the other with coal. So that solved the fuel scenario. Hopefully, the rest of what he needed was still in here.

Water could be fetched from the nearby well, so that wasn't an issue.

Jaune found some flux for when he finished hammering out the template to his blade. (Thank god he wasn't forge welding.) He had his metal and made sure to purchase some ingots to use a backup. Jaune was planning on melting Crocea Mors into an ingot along with his breastplate. All he needed was for Ruby to finish her end of the bargain and bring him a haft and a medium-sized chunk of metal.

Jaune grabbed a nearby shovel and tossed several loads of coal into the coal funnel of the smelter. He didn't want to smelt the metal. Only to get it hot enough to melt everything down. He didn't have to worry about making an alloy out of his ingots and his sword because he made sure to get something with similar carbon contents. And it was steel, so there was not much of a difference in temperatures.

Once he filled the smelter with an adequate amount of coal. Jaune grabbed Crocea Mors. His brainchild. One true love.

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Eight**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 14**

 **Agility: 8**

 **Perception: 17**

 **Buffs:**

 **Your prized broadsword.**

Jaune grabbed a hammer and chisel, setting Crocea Mors on top of the anvil.

 _I'm sorry._

Placing the edge of the blade on the middle of the sword. Jaune brought the hammer down with enough force to snap the broadsword in half. The blade fell off the anvil and hit the ground.

Frankly, it hurt to do that. It hurt a lot. Doing that was comparable to getting your heart broken. Something that Jaune had plenty of experience with.

But it had to be done. Jaune couldn't cram the entire thing into a cauldron and expect it to melt. It would be easier to merely break it apart and have the two pieces melt at the same time. He would throw some more metal in there along with the remnants of his sword.

...

The flames beneath the smelter were burning very hot. Enough to melt down the steel and turn it into a liquid mess. He continued shovelling coal to keep the temperature high enough so he could add his sword and a chunk of an ingot to the cauldron. At the same time, Jaune pressed his foot down on the bellows to feed oxygen to the furnace.

Jaune wanted his new sword to weigh about four pounds. It was a bit heavy, but given it was going to be a longsword when he was done with it. The weight would be spread between two hands instead of one. It was the same concept as Ira Rubrum.

To achieve the desired weight. Jaune added two pounds of metal to the mix along with his sword. Crocea Mors already weighed three pounds, not including the pommel and guard. He also expected to lose some metal in the process as he carved a fuller into it and sharpened the edges.

The new Crocea Mors was going to be a type twenty longsword. A general cutting and thrusting blade. This sword also had a reinforced tip with a diamond cross-sectional blade. Jaune's version of this sword was going to have a fuller cut into it just above the handle and run two-thirds of the sword.

Normally, longswords didn't weigh any more than three and a half pounds. Ira Rubrum weighed about two and a half. But Jaune wanted some more meat on this blade. An extra pound or two was not going to be an issue. It would also help him make the blade thicker and more of a cutting tool.

A prime example of cutting weapons would be Crescent Rose and Gambol Shroud. Each used different techniques to make their cuts. Crescent using its mass and speed of the wielder's swing to blow through their enemies. Gambol Shroud's method relied on a refined technique. Crescent Rose, however, when wielded by Ruby, was probably the most dangerous weapon to get caught behind. Her passive did something that allowed her to wield the scythe to such an effect.

Jaune tossed his metal into the cauldron and just let them melt. It would take maybe an hour or more before he could pour the ingot. Plenty of time to get the forge prepared and his tools laid out. He had already shovelled some coke into the forge as well. So that was taken care of.

 _I can get the sword and scythe done today. But the armour is going to be a two-day process._

Jaune was figuring the time it would take to manufacture his weapons and armour. Typically it was a lengthy process that would take several days to finish all of the pieces. But Jaune knew what he wanted to do and if he worked late into the night, he could have the scythe completed by the morning.

Crocea Mors was not going to be a pretty sword by any means, but it would be functionally stable. Meaning that it would be of high quality. And for the time, this was one man forging a single sword. He already had a guard and pommel and was going to recycle them onto the new Crocea Mors, so he didn't need to wait a week to finish the damn thing. He was going to do it tonight or die trying.

Ruby's scythe, however, was going to be tricky. Jaune had experience making farm tools, but he didn't specialise in them. The principles of forging would still apply, and he wouldn't need to create an entire sword. It was like making an axe actually. You needed to forge the blade of the scythe and stick it on the haft and you were done. But Jaune wanted to make one that would last, so he needed to add langets to brace the head where the most stress would be applied. Maybe some more supports along the haft too.

...

Jaune poured the liquid steel into his mould. The bright orange liquid cascaded from the cauldron-like a waterfall. It pooled inside the iron mould, hissing as it came into contact with the lubricant covering the walls. A thick cloud of steam rose as it began setting into its new form, cooling rapidly and losing its colour upon resting inside the mould. Jaune set the cauldron back into place, taking his gloves off and setting them to the side.

 _Good pour. Just need to wait and let it cool down. Hopefully Ruby gets here soon, or I won't be able to get her scythe done._

The front door to the shed opened and let a horrendous amount of light in.

 _Speak of the devil, and he shall appear._

Or 'she' in this case. Jaune turned around to see Ruby and Pyrrha standing at the door to the forge.

"Hi, Jaune," Ruby shouted, taking her first few steps inside. She let out a large gasp, observing the newly remodelled forge. "It didn't look like this the last time I came here! Did you clean up!" The Reaper picked up a hammer and gave a practice swing. Its momentum carried her a little off-balance, but she recovered.

"Yeah," Jaune answered, cooling the still smouldering ingot with some water. "Place was a wreck when I started. I can't work in a dirty workshop without tearing my hair out."

 _That half-hour of cleaning was so worth it!_

"You seem to have done a fantastic job Jaune," Pyrrha also complimented him. Her overly polite speech seemed a little over-done, but she always spoke like that. "Have you worked in a forge before?"

 _How did you not know that before?! I'm like the only person at Beacon who moonlights as a blacksmith!_

"Yep," Ruby chirped, skipping over to the table to drop off her items. A large haft and a steel ingot. "Jaune's going to make me a new scythe. He said it was going to be the best one I've ever used!"

 _She seems to be really excited about it. That gives me an idea..._

"Ruby," Jaune began, grabbing a hammer to knock out the steel ingot. "If you want to. You can help me forge your scythe and my longsword tonight. Crescent Rose's owner would want a hand in making her, right?" The Reaper's eyes went wide, and a massive grin stretched across her lips.

"REALLY," she almost shouted. Jaune was afraid someone would come to check out what the commotion was. "Yes! This is going to be so much fun!"

Of course, she would accept. Ruby jumps at the chance to do something with her friends whenever she gets the chance. Maybe it's because of her socially awkward nature?

"What about you, Pyrrha," Jaune turned to her. "Want to give it a try?" If she agreed, then it would give Jaune and her more time to hang out together. They don't really have a schedule that matched up or did anything outside of class that hinted at them having similar interests.

"Oh, no thank you," Pyrrha said, waving her hands. "I'd prefer not to mess anything up. But I am curious about the process. You won't mind if I watch?"

 _Heh... It works._

"Sure," Jaune replied, picking up the cooled ingot from the ground. A small portion of Exp rushed through him. Almost a sixteenth of a levels worth.

"So what's our first step," Ruby asked, leaning in closer to Jaune. "Are we making the sword or Crescent Rose first?"

 _It's Crocea Mors, Ruby, not a 'sword.' But... Crescent Rose would be easier to work on, and Crocea Mors would give her the basics of metalworking. Guess we should start with the basics._

"Crocea Mors," Jaune corrected her naming. "And I think we should work on Crocea Mors first. If we screw up, I can melt it back down, but we can't do that with a wooden haft."

Screwing up a sword then having to restart is awful. Putting six hours of work in only to melt the blade back into an ingot usually causes many to quit the first time. Luckily for Jaune, his blacksmithing is at an adept level making the process easier and more fluid.

"That makes sense," Ruby agreed. She grabbed onto the level for the bellows and began pumping. The flames rose with every pull on the rope.

Jaune thrust his steel ingot into the already scorching embers of the forge. White flames radiated from the centre of the trough. It grew even brighter as Ruby pressed on the bellows feeding oxygen to the fire. Jaune could see his metal glowing orange and then turning yellow.

"Ok, Ruby," Jaune began. "When your metal reaches the right temperature, it will turn a bright yellow. You only want to work your metal because it will be at its softest." The Reaper nodded and continued watching him work.

Jaune pulled the bright yellow ingot out of the forge. Using his tongs to hold the metal, he placed it atop the anvil. He repeatedly struck the malleable steel with a four-pound hammer. The small ingot quickly began lengthening and widening at the same time. Jaune turned the cube on its side to bring it back into shape. By the time the metal cooled Jaune had a foot long section of steel and a was now a flat bar of metal.

"You work quickly," Pyrrha complimented, sitting on a crate with a shortsword in hand. She rubbed a cloth along the length of the steel, cleaning any dirt from the sword.

"Have to," Jaune responded. "I could only use the forge at my home for a few hours at a time. So I got as much work done as possible with the time I had." Of course, they didn't know the full story yet. Jaune was going to keep that part to himself until he was more comfortable telling it. He wasn't sure how his friends would view him as a runaway masquerading as a professional hero.

"With your efficiency, didn't you think about becoming a swordsmith here in Vale," Pyrrha asked, curious as to his reasoning behind his career choice. "I'm not sure of the skill of most smiths, but you could make plenty of Lien working for the academy or on your own."

 _I would have stayed a smith if I just wanted to make money._

"Yeah, I could make a pretty good living in Vale, but where's the fun in that," Jaune countered, scooping a clinker out of the trough. "Swordsmithing is boring if you're just doing it for money." Pyrrha seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment.

"I can see your reasoning," she concurred. "An adventurer's life never has a dull moment. Especially with factions or monsters trying to attack us all of the time." Jaune could agree with that.

"It's fun as long as you don't have diminishing returns," Ruby added on, continuing to pull down on the rope. "Then everything gets boring..."

Diminishing returns. The prime obstacle for anyone wanting to earn levels. Jaune fell into that rut when he kept trying to forge as many items as possible to strengthen himself. Over time, simple daggers and knives were nothing for him. Not even providing a noticeable change in his level. Forging a sword gave him almost half a level when he was level eight.

The reason why Jaune was blowing through nearly ten levels in less than a month was that he was now focusing on fighting monsters. Their levels varied to go as far as almost twenty levels above his. Of course, Jaune piggybacked off his friends and earned a small portion of their Exp whenever they killed something stronger with him nearby. But actively going out and hunting creatures who already had their own Exp reserves was like mining gold. No amount of forging could compare to what being a hero was like.

"Yes, but it does force all heroes to become stronger," Pyrrha countered, wiping her blade with some oil now. "If we need to earn more levels, then we have to go after bigger monsters."

"But there's that extra risk," Jaune threw in his point. "I was nearly killed by a hobgoblin that was double my level, but I got three whole levels out of it. For you, Pyrrha, that hobgoblin wouldn't have given you half a level. Eventually, when all of us are like level forty or fifty, any Exp that we earned last week would be nothing, and we'd have to put ourselves at greater risk for greater rewards."

"And that's why Yang and I decided to work with you, Jaune," Ruby confidently spoke up, taking a break to let her arms rest. "If we all work together, then we can spread the risk out among all nine of us! It's also super fun adventuring with friends!"

 _Can't disagree with that..._

[Several Hours Later]

Ruby was now trying her hand at shaping metal. Her swings were generally limp, but she was getting the hang of it. The Reaper also seemed to tire out quickly and needed Jaune to take over for her regularly. It must have been her low Strength stat mixed with her Constitution.

Jaune took over again and began hammering the blade with greater proficiency. The ingot was no longer that. It was now a thin profile made from steel that resembled a sword. But it was getting there. He figured there needed to be more adjustments to the shape to get a straighter edge. Then he had to make the tang, dip it in flux, and then carve the fuller and make the cutting edge before quenching it in an oil bath.

Pyrrha was still watching the two work from atop her crate. Surprisingly she hadn't moved from that spot unless she needed to get water. Jaune figured it was primarily due to her not having any friends that hung out with her. The Spartan merely bided her time working on her sword. Her weirdly shaped blade was something Jaune had never seen before.

"I don't know how that's supposed to be a sword," Ruby said, looking at the still-unfinished piece of metal in Jaune's hands. "It looks ugly."

"That's because it's not a sword, yet," Jaune corrected with a snort, thrusting the metal back into the fire. "We need to quench it first then sharpen it. Then will it be an actual weapon." If Jaune didn't quench the blade, it would shatter upon contact with another sword. Hardening was the best way to keep Crocea Mors functional for him to use.

Jaune heard the door open behind him. He turned to find Ren and Sun hanging out in the doorway. The faunus standing just behind the Monk.

"Hey guys," Jaune spoke up, pulling the precursor to the sword out from the fire. "What's up?!" He began pounding on the metal. Sparks flew out with every blow.

Ren and Sun both stepped in. The taller man led the discussion.

"We were looking for you three," he began, leaning against a wall. "Yang pointed us in the right direction. Saying something about how two red-heads went into a shack and haven't left for the last few hours."

Both Ruby and Pyrrha seemed to blush. Jaune was able to hide it only because his cheeks were already flushed red from the heat of the forge.

Ren cut him off before he could embarrass anybody any further. "We needed to discuss the issue of rent that will be coming up," he monotonously explained. "We've already informed the others about what's going on."

 _Oh, that... Just when I thought we were having fun!_

"How bad is it," Ruby asked. Her dreadful expression mirrored Jaune's own concern.

He suddenly remembered how much money Ruby had. And it wasn't a lot. Jaune had maybe two thousand Lien to his name, but from what he had seen of Yang and Ruby. The goblin quest had been their only source of income since arriving here, and there was nothing to indicate that she had any more on hand.

"Starting next week, all of us will be charged rent for the right to stay here," Ren summarised what everyone knew. "To stay in the communal dorms, we will all have to pay five-hundred lien each per month. That comes with food, water, medical, laundry, and a bed. Nothing besides the bare necessities."

 _Ok... not as bad as I thought it would be._

"What about private rooms," Jaune mentioned, curious as to what Ren was going to say next. So far, it wasn't looking pretty. Actually, fairly grim.

"For a basic one-person room," Ren began. "You get the same amenities one is given in the communal dorms, but you pay much more for them. Except you are now paying for privacy and higher quality versions of those amenities. All for one-thousand two-hundred lien per month. Upgrades and luxuries are going to cost extra." The faces of everyone around the room turned solemn and contemplative. Ruby still seemed to be visibly concerned with how much money was on the table.

"That's bad..." Pyrrha wasn't sure of her response. Jaune, however, knew the reality of the situation. They were being driven to take on more quests to simply live a comfortable life. It was a test of survival.

"What happens if we miss a payment," Jaune asked, having given up on attempting to forge his sword.

 _It couldn't have been that bad, right? Maybe we'll just go into debt and have to pay more the next time._

"That's the part we don't know," Sun said, rubbing the back of his head. "Some rumours are going around, but it's not pretty."

Jaune heard some things getting thrown around as well, but nothing related to renting. There was supposed to be an announcement at the start of the next week to discuss the expectations for the year.

"What if we take a double or triple room," Ruby asked, having given up on finishing her task as well. "It would be cheaper right? Spreading the cost out between multiple people." She was still applying her model to reduce the risk to everyone.

"You and Nora could double up," Jaune suggested with a grin. This earned him a stern look from the usually stoic Monk. He didn't blush, which was something that would have happened to Jaune if he were in his place.

"We're not like that," Ren countered, still sounding unenthused with Jaune's quip. "They don't let boys and girls stay in the same rooms either." Ren pulled out a small slip of paper. "A double and triple room would come out to one-thousand Lien and eight-hundred Lien. Cheaper, but not encouraging because we have to pay those amounts every month each."

 _He has a point. And a damn good one at that. It just costs way too much to live on campus._

"The triple rooms seem to be our best option," Jaune concluded. "If we take on some higher-level quests every week, we might be able to squeeze by with some room to work. But those rooms are going to be cramped..."

...

How the hell are we going to afford to stay on campus for four years? Even if we tripled up, it's still going to cost us ten-thousand Lien every year! And then over four years, it will be more than what we could get if we bought a house.

Everyone liked the idea of the triple rooms for the most part. Nobody wanted to live in a cramped space, but that was a good enough plan as it stood. There was nothing else to really go off of at the moment. It would take more time to actually go out and search for a house to buy or come up with another plan.

Sun and Pyrrha left for the night. Leaving Ren, Jaune, and Ruby as the remainder of the group. Jaune continued hammering out his sword. Ruby did her best to help, and Ren took the place of Pyrrha.

"Do you have any ideas for what we can do next Jaune," Ren calmly asked, sitting cross-legged on top of a crate. He seemed to be meditating at the same time. Although this is probably the worst place, he could be doing so.

"I'm not sure what we should be doing next," Jaune replied, beginning to form the tang. "But we all know the triple rooms are not a solution." Sure they were better than the communal dorms, but over time, it just wasn't going to work out.

"I agree," Ren stated.

"Yeah," Ruby spoke up. "It costs so much to live here. And eight-hundred Lien every month seems like a small amount, but it's so much every year."

"Thirty-eight-thousand four-hundred to be exact," Ren added on. "Taxes are included."

 _Oh, right, taxes. Why didn't I think about that? But that's still a lot of money in the end, and I'm not sure it's worth spending it._

Jaune thrust the tang into the embers once again. The blade had mainly been finished over the last six hours, but he still needed to beat the tang out of the stock and then dip the blade in flux to prevent oxidising. Then he needed to carve a fuller and then quench the sword.

"Maybe we can pool our Lien and buy a house in the city," Jaune threw the idea out there. "It doesn't have to be a large place. We could share rooms and cook our own meals." Honestly, if they could get a house anywhere near Beacon, they would be set for the next four years.

Ren seemed to play with the idea. Cupping his chin for a few seconds. "I can see sense in the plan," he stated. "But do any of us know anything about buying a house. Nora and I have no experience in the matter. We lived out in the wilds for most of our lives."

 _Huh, I didn't know that. Ren doesn't look the type._

"Yang and I don't know anything," Ruby added on. "We've lived in the same place all of our lives."

 _I kind of expected that from them._

"Great," Jaune threw his hands in the air. "So none of us know anything. We're back to square one!" He sighed, pulling the stock out of the fire. Hammering away at the tang to get it thin enough to put Crocea Mors' guard on.

"Wait, what about everyone else," Ruby asked, pulling down on the bellows again.

"Do you really think, our other friends know how to buy a house," Jaune countered, knowing he had a rock-solid argument. "Weiss maybe. But Pyrrha, Sun, and Blake? I don't think so..." He hammered out the final portion of the tang.

"He has a point, Ruby," Ren sided with Jaune. The Monk stood and brushed his legs off. "But I think we all should continue taking quests. Jaune, you should try forging swords to make a steady income. Nora and I will do some research and see what we come up with."

"I didn't know Nora was so interested in our plan," Jaune wondered, more or less about how Nora was able to focus for so long on something.

"She's actually very excited about adventuring with a group for the first time," Ren explained, heading towards the door. "And she wants to do everything she can to make it work."

 _Well, that's encouraging._

 **[The Next Morning]**

Jaune finished pounding the last pieces of Ruby's scythe into place. The wooden haft was put together perfectly. Langets and rivets were punched into the shaft running the length of the weapon. The large blade on the end of the scythe was hefty but would function as a large battle axe.

It was the weirdest scythe Jaune had ever built. The blade's girth was almost an inch in some places. It was three feet long from the tip to the haft. And the width tapered from four inches to a single point. Whoever was going to be at the end of this monstrosity was going to regret their life choices.

Jaune ran Crescent Rose across a grindstone and sharpened the blade to the highest degree. The edge was so sharp that it would have sliced right through a person or really anything that got in its way. Finishing one side, he turned to the other. Sparks flew as he ran the massive blade up and down the stone.

A rush of Exp slammed into Jaune's upon sharpening the final part of the blade. Crocea Mors had given him maybe an eighth of a level when he finished it. But Crescent Rose dumped half a levels worth of Exp into him despite both weapons being made from steel.

Jaune took a glimpse at the stats of Ruby's newest weapon.

 **Crescent Rose**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 37**

 **Agility: 24**

 **Perception: 35**

 **Buff:**

 **Freshly Sharpened**

 **This blade was recently sharpened at a grindstone or whetstone. Any damage done with this weapon is especially devastating.**

 _This thing's a monster!_

While it wasn't too heavy for Jaune. The stats totally outclassed his in about everything. With Ruby's passive boosting her stats and the weapon's own latent strengths, Crescent Rose was shaping up to be the most dangerous weapon around. Making Crocea Mors look like a rod of iron with an edge grounded on it.

"Hey Ruby," Jaune called out to the Reaper. The girl was fast asleep, using her cloak as a blanket. Even though Ruby said, she was only going to take a nap. She passed out several hours ago on the bench and hadn't moved or even sounded like she was disturbed by the amount of noise Jaune was making.

 _I'll wake her up later._

Jaune set Crescent Rose onto the workshop table and grabbed Crocea Mors. He needed to take one last look at her for imperfections.

 _Blade is straight. Guard is fitted nicely. I'll need to redo the handle and make another wrap. Pommel is fine. Fullers are perfectly ground._

Overall, his blade had come out quite nicely. The polish gave the sword a beautiful silver finish that reflected any and all light. A crest consisting of two crescent moons lay just above the guard.

The stats for the sword appeared in Jaune's head.

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**

Jaune thrust the blade back into his sheath. It fit perfectly despite a different sword previously claiming it as its home.

Time to wake Ruby up. "Hey Ruby," Jaune uttered, nudging her shoulder. _I almost feel bad letting her sleep the entire time. She would have loved to see Crescent Rose getting finished._ "Crescent Rose is done."

The girl shot up frantically looking around for her weapon. "Oh-oh-oh-oh, let me see," she almost shouted, leaving her cloak on the bench as she bolted over to the table in a storm of rose petals.

Her eyes went even wider as she beheld her scythe. A gasp left her lips. "It's beautiful!" Ruby began jumping up and down, cradling the scythe in her arms. "Thank you so much! I'm going to show Yang and Weiss!"

The girl dashed out of the room in a whirlwind of rose petals. Jaune only watched as she disappeared, leaving him to contemplate his next moves. After a few minutes, the boy stood and grabbed the nearest piece of metal and began working it into a plate.

* * *

 **I took a two-hour break to play some Dark Souls while working on this and nearly broke a controller. And I thought video games were supposed to relieve stress.**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **Active Debuff**

 **Aura Exhaustion**

 **Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level 10**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 21**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Defence: 16**

 **Constitution: 22**

 **Debuff:**

 **Damaged**

 **The damaged plate is more susceptible to being pierced from a weapon. A well-placed warhammer or even a bodkin arrow will punch through the plate.**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	14. Chapter 14

**Read AN for important shit!**

* * *

 **I fucking beat Ornstein and Smough on my first try! Black Knight Sword +3** **, Black Iron Armour, and the Grass Shield. (Fat boi FTW) Killed Ornstein first and then hid between that big motherfucker's ankles and cut his ass up.**

 **I'm finally ok at Dark Souls. I'm not complete ass at the game anymore! Although I died like ten times trying to get past the great bow knights. I still killed those two fucks on my first try!**

 **Now, that I'm done ranting about Dark Souls. The worst fucking game I've ever played. I can discuss this chapter.**

 **I was going to work on this last week, but I wanted to get a chapter for one of my other fics out. I also had two tests that week so I had to study.**

 **This chapter takes place in the span of about an hour and a half. What we introduce to the story is the entire history behind the Great War-esque conflict and my favourite thing ever, Social Dynamics between classes.**

 **In every fic that I write, I try to bring in real-world social issues to make it more relatable. In Beacon's Number One, I'm doing this heavily with the subjects of bullying, racism, and depression. In To Those Who Survived The Fall, and The Lengths We Must Go To, I use PTSD and trauma as a heavy theme throughout the entire story. In this fic, specifically, I deal with the issues of discrepancy between classes, misogyny, PTSD, and other various social issues.**

 **Now as a disclaimer. Before anybody gets their pitchforks and torches out and demands that I be burned at the stake. Or comments, 'NoT aLL gUyS acT liKe tHis!"**

 **The behaviours that the knights in this story (this chapter too) exhibit are not representative of the behaviours that any specific gender conduct in real life. I clarify the behaviours more in this chapter. There will be more people acting like this that are not knights but average people in the story. This story is set in a semi-medieval world. I cannot set it in an actual medieval world because our female characters would not be able to participate in anything other than being reproductive livestock. So this world does have comparable rights to that of any modern country today. Equal rights for gender (most of the time.) (Racial rights are still being worked on.) However, there will be people that believe women are merely objects in their minds.**

 **I know that not all men act like these knights. I'm a dude and I understand this. I've played on an American Football team before and the shit that I've seen go down make these behaviours look innocent in comparison. So I have witnessed acts that are portrayed in this chapter and much worse. And the shit I'm putting in this chapter is tame.**

 **It just really annoys me when people do this shit like this.**

 **I'm merely introducing these social conflicts to add some more realism to our world.**

* * *

Every first-year student was called to gather in the grand hall. It came as a sudden order just as breakfast began. No option was given for any of them to oppose the request as everyone needed to attend. The added threat of being hunted down by Professor Goodwitch was more than enough reason for all of the first years to assemble in the amphitheatre.

Dozens of other students were slow to move as many were still lethargic from just being awoken from their slumber. Jaune and Ren were already up and dressed for the day as was routine for the men. The Monk was making his bed as the order came while the Knight had been cleaning his boots.

 _Ok, got to meet up with Ruby and the others..._

Jaune hoped they would be easy enough to find. If not, then he could hook up with his friends later. Luckily Ren was still here, and they could go together if everyone else were unable to be found. It wouldn't be too awful. Just silence mixed with small portions of conversation.

He signalled to Ren and got a nod in reply. The two-headed for the door to the communal dorms. Some of the other students seemed to have the same idea and followed along. Mostly warrior classes who had the look of knights.

 _Hopefully, they just mind their business. The last thing I want is another fight because I hang out with other classes._

Jaune didn't know any of these other students, besides Ren of course. They tagged along as both he and Ren made their exit from the men's dorms. The Knight more or less kept to himself as did Ren while they marched towards the main hall. None of these students seemed to be from the group that followed Cardin around like he was their lord and saviour either, which was a good sign.

"So do you guys know what is going on," a knight spoke up from the crowd.

 _Why are you asking me? I'm not some fountain of knowledge!_

"Not sure," Jaune gave a terse answer. He was still hesitant about talking to the other knights. At the moment, they were still not his favourite group of people. "I knew there was going to be an announcement today, but they haven't said what."

Another knight pushed to the front and settled on Jaune and Ren's right side. "I've heard that the Headmaster is going to give a speech on the quests!"

 _I've something along those lines too. But I don't think he'll be talking about that._

"Nah, man," another male called out from the back. "We all know about quests. Your dumbass just hasn't taken one."

 _And I thought Nora was the boorish one. Aren't knights supposed to be all posh or something?_

"Mate, none of us has," the first knight countered.

 _Are you kidding me? And Cardin complains about me being a knight when these knobs are his "Master Race."_

Jaune was starting to get annoyed with the knights. Most of them seemed pretty incompetent at anything other than fighting. Basically, they were good footsoldiers and nothing else. And then they were usually squabbling amongst themselves for the attention of the women-folk at the academy.

Yang and Ruby got hit on a few times by other knights, but when the blonde threatened to crush their skulls like walnuts, they backed off. Pyrrha seemed to be generally polite towards them and declined their advances. Blake and Weiss were avoided like the plague despite their attractiveness. And Jaune was unsure about Nora.

"Why didn't any of you take quests when they opened the Questing House to the first-years," Jaune asked, trying to keep himself from judging his fellow students too hard. His idea about them being a bunch of rich kids who never got their hands dirty was becoming more corroborated by the minute.

Several of the knights seemed to be contemplating their reasoning behind it. Jaune doubted that it would have been a good reason. Anything they could have come up with most likely was due to laziness and not an actual reason as to why they haven't taken any initiative.

"Well," one of the knights tried to formulate an answer. "You know... There's a bunch of cute girls."

 _You're kidding?_

"And we had those two weeks of free rent..."

 _It's even worse than I thought. I'm a hypocrite, but still, I'm focused on trying to get to the end of the year._

"Yeah," another knight shouted from the back of the crowd. "But you guys are lucky! You got chicks hanging off your sleeves and left us with the scraps." That irked Jaune even further. "What gives?"

 _Ruby and Yang are my friends. And Weiss is certainly not hanging off my sleeve. It's actually the opposite for the two of us._

Ren seemed to pause for a moment. He calmly turned around to face the group of knights. One of the knights had to have struck a nerve. It was honestly terrifying seeing the usually stoic Monk angry.

"I do not know what you are assuming about the nature of our relationship is with those, "chicks," but they are our friends," Ren began. His emotionless tone of speech hid any anger or annoyance that would have otherwise surfaced. But Jaune could see the fury hidden beneath his eyes.

The look on the knight's faces remained unfazed. In fact, they seemed to be wearing wolfish grins. It was unsettling how they weren't taking Ren seriously or were going to take advantage of the opening.

"So, you're telling me they're single," the same knight who provoked Ren asked. The rest of them seemed ready and waiting for an answer.

Jaune noticed Ren ball up his right fist.

 _Don't do it, Ren..._

While he wouldn't doubt how strong his friend was. They were outnumbered, and with him being possibly at a disadvantage because of his own lower level. It was advantageous to merely retreat and cool off.

Putting a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Come on, Ren," Jaune beckoned his friend. "We need to find Nora and the others before Ms Goodwitch comes looking." The Monk seemed to relax and unclenched his fist at hearing his friend's name.

"I agree, we shouldn't waste any time," Ren said, turning around and heading in the direction of the main hall. A slight pinkish glow surrounding the man made itself known for a fraction of a second.

 _What was that..._

...

Following the mass of students heading to the main hall. Jaune and Ren remained quiet for some of their trip. The knights had since stopped following them, which was a plus. However, Jaune was unsure of what many of them wanted, originally. Other than to pester the two men about whether or not they were making a move on their female friends.

Jaune decided to break the silence between the two of them. "So Ren, what happened back there," he asked, intertwining his fingers and placing his hands on the back of his head. As one would do if they were attempting to catch their breath. "You seemed pretty angry with those knights."

The question came out of a genuine concern for his friend. Jaune had made a point of checking on each of his friends since their attendance at the academy began. Homesickness was something that supposed to be frequent for young adults who left home for the first time. And was among the other issues any of his comrades might have faced during their time here. Whatever it was that angered Ren, however, was enough to get him to nearly start a fight over it. The logical side of him wasn't powerful enough to overcome the anger he must have felt.

"I'm fine," he replied in his monotone voice. "The knights at this academy have grown to annoy me at certain times." He paused for a moment. "No offence to you, of course. You seem to be an outlier from the other members of your class. Not as though that is a bad thing either." He didn't try and backpedal his way out of it, so he meant what he was saying.

"Thanks..."

At least it wasn't meant in a bad light. Cardin seemed pretty intent on making it known how different he was from the other knights. Although he appeared to be much more violent in doing so.

Previously, Jaune had figured out that the knights of Beacon Academy did not play well with others. Nor did they care about other individuals beyond their own interests. Honestly, he wasn't sure how many of them would make it to the end of the year. The few outliers that Jaune noticed were open to siding with the other classes or ended up as loners who sought strength on their own.

Typically, more of the issues stemmed from the male knights. There were female knights, but the class was a male-dominated one. Many female sword bearers went by the class labels "Fencer," or "Duelist," as they did not fit the general description for a knight. Which a person who wears medium to heavy armour and fights as a stereotypical knight like Jaune. There are exceptions to the heavy armour requirement as someone such as Pyrrha was a hybrid class.

The knights were also the most numerous class among the Beacon Academy students. Thus there would be more issues having to deal with the members of said class for reasons already stated. Frankly, other classes among the warriors had the same problems regarding the bravado they frequently exhibited. Other classes could exhibit these traits; however, the esteem of a knight often deluded many of their ilk into thinking they could do whatever they wanted. As was an issue that some of Jaune's friends had to face.

"Ruby and some of the others feel the same," Jaune added on. "Being annoyed with the knights, not the, me being completely different from Cardin and his friends." He looked to Ren to see that he was listening. "Yang threated to tear some guy's balls off if he tried hitting on her little sister again." That was a very colourful moment to observe. The Brawler's eyes did that red shining thing, and her hair seeming glowed as she lifted the poor fool off the ground.

That anecdote drew a snort from Ren. "I've had to give a similar threat to another intrepid romantic whom Nora complained about," he explained, still showing little change in his emotional state.

"Nora's had trouble with some of the knights," Jaune inquired further.

"Yes, he answered. "A few attempted to take advantage of her because they thought she would have been easy."

"THEY FUCKING WHAT," Jaune shouted in anger, turning to his friend who seemed unsurprised by the Knight's reaction. He had to still himself from acting out on his rage and demanding the names of the accused. Had he had his way. There would be nothing but a red stain covering the wall, the ceilings, and whatever else blood could feasibly land on.

"They proposed she have sex with them," Ren further explained, gesturing his hands as some emotion surfaced. "I'll condense my explanation, but suffice to say. Her playful and happy-go-lucky personality made them think she would have not have thought to oppose them." He rubbed the back of his head, momentarily calming himself. "When I learned of their behaviour. Nora was not the only person they learned to fear that day."

Nora didn't seem to be enough, apparently. That girl goes on and on about breaking legs. Maybe she thoroughly tenderised them with her hammer and then Ren came to finish the job with his daggers?

"I feel you," Jaune concurred upon hearing Ren's thoughts. "I've even had to step in a few times as well." He pushed whatever anger surfaced back down. There was no appropriate outlet for it right now.

"You've had prior experience dealing with issues such as this," Ren calmly asked, sidestepping another pair of students.

"I have seven sisters, Ren," Jaune answered, trying to act casual. "I've gotten the crap beaten out of me more times than I can count standing up for them." That elicited another snort from the Monk. "And if Nora or anybody else you know has trouble with them. Come find me!" The offer was not a flippant one done out of sympathy. He was serious about it.

...

Finally reaching the amphitheatre, Ren and Jaune began looking for their respective friends. The hundreds of other students did not make their search easy. Even considering how both men were vertically challenged compared to many of the other students. The Knight was close to suggesting that the Monk climb on his shoulders to get a better view.

Not as though it would change anything. Nora jumped on Ren's back barely seven seconds into their search. The Berserker wrapped her arms around the Monk's shoulders and her legs around his waist. Effectively making the strangest backpack Jaune had ever seen.

"Hi, Jaune," Nora shouted, her head next to Ren's ear. She gave him a cheery wave that nearly threw the Monk off balance. The man didn't seem to mind the new accessory adorning his back and was in no way struggling to carry his friend.

"Hey, Nora," Jaune replied, taking another look for his friends. "Have you seen Ruby or Yang anywhere? Or Weiss?"

 _They should be around here somewhere._

"Oh, they're right behind you!" Nora pointed to something just over his shoulder.

 _What..._

Jaune felt another figure brush up against his back. "Did you miss me already," Yang asked in a sultry tone of voice. Her voice sent a shiver down his spine. "I mean, it's only been a day and a half since you last saw me. But I didn't know you were so addicted to my assets..."

He pulled himself away from the other blonde before it could get any worse. "O-Ok, Yang, i-it's nice to see you too," Jaune stammered as he retreated to a safe distance from the blonde's teasing. His cheeks turned beet red in embarrassment.

 _Why does she do that to me?!_

Jaune looked over to see Weiss with a mild blush on her cheeks. She must have found their exchange to be cringeworthy. As Jaune was quick to learn, the Heiress tended to become embarrassed at the slightest amount of unsavoury behaviour. Usually, from others and not herself.

"Why must you two act like uncouth barbarians in public," Weiss scolded the two blondes. Her cheeks were still holding their shade of pink. It was so adorable to see the Princess all flustered.

Jaune and Yang both looked at each other with a grin on their lips.

"Nora," Jaune called out to the Berserker. "You're a barbarian... Do we act like them in public?"

The Barbarian readjusted her position atop her ravenette perch. "No," she answered, almost shouting. "I would have told her to shove that fancy language up her ass!" That seemed to irk Weiss even more than she had been previously.

Weiss groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The three of you are incorrigible..."

Yang snickered, "Oh, you know you love us, Weiss-cream," she paused for a moment, "or better yet. We can call you, Ice Queen!" The Brawler's predatory smile resembled a hungry beast looking down on their kill.

Weiss' blush grew even worse than before. "You are not calling me that," she demanded, still looking adorable even though she was angry. She and Ruby had a knack for not being able to be appropriately angry with anybody, and it only added to how cute the two were.

"I think I will," Yang fired back, retaining her playful attitude the entire time. The Heiress only grew more red-faced.

Weiss looked to Jaune with an almost pleading expression. If she could genuinely manage one. The Heiress wasn't capable of keeping up with the likes of someone, such as Yang for long periods. Even if she tried her best to retort with anger or heavily loaded words, it wouldn't supplement for a higher level Charisma stat.

Jaune decided to step in to save his partner. "Ok, Yang," he interrupted, stepping forward to act as a barrier. "Don't beat a dead horse any more than it needs to be." He was fully prepared to be teased for coming to someone's defence.

"Fine," she groaned, rolling her eyes, relenting her crusade against the Princess. "I guess I hit my limit for today." She mumbled something unintelligible before turning towards the main stage where the speech was supposed to be held.

Jaune followed suit as did the rest of their group. Professor Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin took centre stage with Professor Port, Dr Oobleck, and several other faculty members standing behind them.

Weiss stood next to Jaune, wearing a pout that still held its blush from her bout with Yang. "Thank you, she whispered, crossing her arms and looking like a puppy that was denied its treat.

"What was that," Jaune asked in jest, pretending he didn't hear her the first time. He leaned down a bit to be more level with the Princess. "I don't believe I heard you."

"Don't you start..."

...

Professor Ozpin gestured with his hands, beckoning the students to quiet down. Some listened to the order initially but most gradually fell silent. Once the hall became void of any other disturbances, Ozpin stepped forward.

"Welcome," he began, mug and cane in hand. "I hope each and every one of you has started acclimating to your life at Beacon Academy. These first two weeks were meant for the students to allow themselves to begin bonding with their companions and to develop a rhythm with classes and training in your spare time. I have also noticed that some of the first-year students have begun questing." He looked towards Jaune and the group. "I wish the rest of you who have not formed parties or taken your party out on a quest begin planning to in these coming weeks." He paused in the centre of the stage. "Before I tell you what is expected from the students at my academy. I would like to give a brief lesson of the history leading up to the birth of the modern age of Remnant and the founding of the academies."

"How many of you know the story of the man known as Sir Hans," Ozpin asked. Dozens of students raised their hands, including Jaune and Ruby.

"I love this story," Ruby squeaked, jumping up and down like a giddy child.

"Yeah, my parents used to tell it to my sisters and me when I was a kid," Jaune said. Usually, in the winter months, where there were long periods where free time was aplenty. Most families would gather around the fireplace and tell the story. Jaune's was no different.

"Hmmm, I've never heard it before," Ren voiced his opinion.

Ruby let out a loud gasp. "You've never had a childhood if your parents didn't tell this," she pointed out.

Ren and Nora both subtly reacted to what Ruby said. Jaune couldn't get a fix on what exactly it was, but Ruby seemed to be wholly unaware of it. The others didn't pick up on it either because they weren't paying attention. Their reaction was negative. That was as much as he could figure out without prying any further.

"To understand the story of Sir Hans. One must know what led up to his rise to fame and glory." Ozpin's speech cut Jaune's thoughts from going any further. "Over one-hundred years ago, Remnant knew a time of peace and prosperity," the Headmaster began orating the story. "The four kingdoms you know today coexisted alongside six others." He began listing them off with his fingers. "Shion, Argus, Valeria, Protea, Elysium, Citadel, Vale, Mantle, Mistral, and Vacuo. The ten capitols of Remnant stood as the symbols of our civilisation and the peace they represented for centuries prior." He shifted his hand with the cane behind his back. "We knew this period as The Great Peace or The Golden Age." He set his mug on a nearby podium. "It was a time of advancement in both our technological prowess and our understanding of the forces behind the magic that governs our world. The ills of this society: poverty, discrimination, disease, hunger, and war were beginning to decline. Populations rose, and great cities were constructed where the arts flourished alongside the ever-advancing sciences. Millions of men, women, and children took residence in these sprawling metropolises." Ozpin took a deep breath. "It was a time of glory for every hero that dawned his or her colours. The last known lairs of the dragons were hunted and destroyed so none could prey upon the people ever again. Even with the deaths of the dragons, there was still work to do for the heroes. Our predecessors fought to keep the cities safe from the other monsters that roamed the countryside so the people could enjoy peace."

"Unfortunately, it all came to an end," he explained, taking a sharp breath, his voice turning grim. The mood of the room quickly soured. "One-hundred years ago... The forces of darkness that conspired against the people of Remnant made themselves known. Unleashing what could only be described as "abominations" upon the land. The first known appearance of what we call, 'The Creatures of Grimm.'" Jaune noticed several other students negatively react to the name. "On that day, thousands of rifts opened in every major kingdom on the planet. Millions of these demons poured out from these tears in space." Ozpin took another breath. "The cities were quickly overwhelmed. Whoever remained inside the walls met their end in the most brutal fashion. Those who were fortunate fled to the countryside and met their fate as the Grimm followed them out of the cities." Ozpin's posture stiffened. "These creatures took on any shape they pleased. Whatever made people fear them the most. Wolves, bears, dragons, phantoms, or even people. Many were unintelligent and acted on instinct. A few were smarter than the most brilliant minds of the previous age. No matter their intelligence. These demons decimated the once great cities..."

"After the initial calamity. Any remaining commanders or kings called for the people to rally behind them. They hoped to put together a resistance to push back the tide of demons," Ozpin continued telling his story. "Every man, woman, and child was called to serve. All were driven by a single purpose... To ensure the survival of the next generation through their sacrifice." He gestured with his free hand with the one holding the cane behind his back. "Millions of soldiers assembled in vast armies in the vain attempt to gain a foothold on our world. And they fought. They fought harder and faster with every skirmish that broke out. With every loss, our hopes and dreams were pulled further into the darkness. With every victory, the flames of our peoples rose from embers." He paused centre stage. "As time went on. The boundaries that once separated classes fell. Racial and social barriers were turned into ash. Men and women named whatever children they had after colours in the hope there could be some ray of light through the darkness. Some remnant of the arts." Ozpin tucked both hands behind his back. "We were united by a common enemy. None the like which we have ever seen before on our world. Our desperate struggle united us as a people. Humans-Faunus. Mages-Warriors-Rogues." He paced back and forth. "After ten years, it looked as though we were beginning to gain a footing. But the cost had been too great. Six of the ten kingdoms of Remnant were reduced to ruins. Half of the world's population fell in a single decade. Hundreds of millions of people were forgotten in the first ten years of The Great War. Only the most notable heroes and kings were remembered up to this day." Ozpin paused in the centre. "Our struggle allowed one young man to rise from infamy to greatness like these other heroes."

"Sir Hans was not a hero, originally," Ozpin explained. "He was merely a young boy kidnapped from his village by pirates. The raiders destroyed his home and took him captive aboard their ship. He was only seven years old at the time." He paused to take a breath. "From there, he was taken in by the crew and raised as one of their own. Despite the knowledge that these men killed his family. Hans embraced the lifestyle as it was the only chance he had for survival." He turned to face the crowd. "For the next ten years of his life, Hans participated in raids along the Sanus-Anima Straight. The crew that had captured him moulded the young boy into a warrior during that time. The life of battle and hardship turned him into a mountain. Standing well over the heads of his fellow crew members." Ozpin took another breath." He did not resemble any description of a hero that we know today. Hans was a corsair at heart. A true pirate. He enjoyed the life he made for himself. Not caring about the people he harmed or who the money he stole belonged to. At the age of fifteen, he was made the captain of a captured vessel. And for the next two years, Hans led his own raids against settlements and merchant convoys." Ozpin kept pacing back and forth. "One day, his fleet had sailed towards the north. To plunder the southern shores of Mantle. And on that fateful day, when the fabric of space and time was torn asunder. The Great War began. A massive sea monster, created by demonic magic destroyed his fleet. Most of the sailors were lost in the frigid waters."

"When Hans awoke on the northern shore of Sanus. He witnessed the catastrophe before him," Ozpin continued. "Valeria was under siege by the demon armies. Men, women, and children fell in droves while he sat there and was too weak to do anything. The sights of the battle changed the way he saw the world. His entire life was now dedicated to defending the people. He was no longer fighting for himself, he was struggling to ensure the survival of everyone around him." He took another pause. "For the next twenty years, Sir Hans fought the demons where he could. Whether he was a regular in an army. Or leading his own. He fought. Using whatever means he could to do battle with the demonic spirits. Becoming a master of the sword and the spell. Eventually leading a guild known as the Black Sails. To grow into the most powerful hero that is recorded in our history."

"On this day, eighty years ago. Sir Hans and his companions ended The Great War," Ozpin explained. "Led by the Warrior King of Vale. They stormed the first rift that had opened in the city of Valeria. An army of over five thousand soldiers distracted the demons, so Sir Hans and his men could infiltrate the bastion surrounding the gateway." Ozpin grew silent for a moment. "Unfortunately, we are not sure of what happened next in this story. All we know is every rift on the surface of the planet closed simultaneously. Only two members of the Black Sails Guild survived the battle. Sir Hans was lost. Survived by no descendants leaving his only friends Cervantes and Astrid to tell his tale. Even then, they could only describe part of his story. The beginning and the middle. The end, we presume, was where Sir Hans met his death at the hands of a powerful demon."

"In memory of the sacrifices made during the war," Ozpin continued. "The Warrior King of Vale and the remaining leaders of Vacuo, Mantle, and Mistral founded the Hero Academies of Remnant. Their goal was to ensure that more heroes could rise despite their meagre beginnings. Becoming a hero was no longer restricted to classical knights or paladins that were raised to fit the role. Now anyone who has the potential to succeed and does will be allowed to defend the people of Remnant."

He took another deep breath. "Beginning now, each of you will be tested to see if you are worthy of upholding the mantle of the hero. If you came here expecting to find all of the work done for you or only wish to coquet among your fellow students, then I expect you to leave by the morning. For those of you who remain. You will not find this journey to be simple." Ozpin gave an emotionless stare at the crowd. "You will be expected to pay your way from this day forth. While your tuition is covered by the Treasury of Vale, everything else is not. Your food and board must either be supplied by yourself, or you must pay for it. One of the lessons learned by Sir Hans was resourcefulness, the most important lesson he ever learned. You will have to find a way to fund yourself over the next four years." Some students began speaking up, but Ozpin gestured for them to quiet down. "There are many quests you can take on to provide yourself with funds. What you may have already learned is you are required to take on ten quests every semester. That is only the minimum amount required. There is no limit to how many contracts you are allowed to complete. However, in conjunction with the quota, you must finish a final quest every semester that can be completed at any time. This will be assigned when you wish to complete it. And it will be difficult. The risk of death or failure will be great. If your final quest results in either, you will be dismissed from the academy." Ozpin took another pause. "To be frank, I do not expect more than half of you to remain at the end of your second semester." With that, he stepped off the stage, followed by the rest of the faculty.

Most of the students stood there, stunned, having no idea of how they should react. Jaune turned to look at his friends. Ruby and Yang's were slack-jawed. Pyrrha, who had shown up some time ago, was utterly bewildered. Nora and Ren exhibited no visible reaction. Weiss was... angry?

The white-haired girl turned to Jaune. "Follow me..."

...

Jaune snuck away from the rest of his group. He hoped that it wasn't extremely obvious that he slipped away. Yang would have had a field day with him had she seen the boy's less-than-stellar attempt at stealth. Luckily, she seemed more occupied with the slap in the face that was Ozpin's speech.

How something could end up being inspiring and depressing at the same time was honestly bewildering. Ozpin didn't seem to sugar-coat any part of the story and told what amounted to the truth. Hearing that the greatest hero of the last century was actually a pirate was a little more encouraging, however. If Sir Hans could go from being a pirate to a hero, then so could Jaune. Except he was a blacksmith and not a criminal.

The part where Sir Hans was actually a paladin was new to Jaune's ears. Any rendition of the story he heard told of Sir Hans the Knight not Sir Hans the Paladin.

It might have had something to do with how that mage, Min Ao, was talking about paladins? They were perceived in a negative light by some, it seemed.

Then the finale of the speech. That was a nightmare. A final quest to go along with the quota each of them had to achieve. And if you failed that, you were sent packing.

 _No wonder Weiss was pissed. I am too, but I can hide better than she can._

Weiss had disappeared from view before Jaune could exit the auditorium. The Princess being an entire foot shorter than him didn't exactly help. Even if she stood on her toes, there would be no way for him to spot her in the crowd.

 _Where the hell did she go?_

Jaune turned around to find Weiss standing just behind him.

"I told you to follow me," she scolded him for not following through with her order.

"Hey," Jaune fired back. "It's not my fault you're hard to follow. I can't exactly see you in a crowd." She caught the meaning behind what he said. While not reacting outwardly in anger, her face scrunched up before relaxing.

"Whatever," she huffed, tossing her hair to the side. "We need to discuss our plans for this week. Since you decided to play blacksmith and not the knight this weekend. We will have to do this now."

 _Sure..._

"You know I was repairing my armour, right," Jaune pointed out. He didn't doubt that the Princess knew about it. "Kind of got stomped on by an ugly green giant?"

She turned around to face him again. "And that was your fault," she reminded him. "You should have let a higher levelled hero take the lead and not tank the damage like a buffoon."

 _Ok, I can agree on that._

"Umm... then what did you have in mind," Jaune asked, trying to get back onto the point and to prevent himself from being chastised further.

"You've levelled up," she began, cupping her chin in thought. "We should take on something that is slightly more difficult than you have previously. With a moderately powerful third party member, we could make quick work of a hunting contract or possibly a bounty. But it should be something that pays well for all three of us."

"I agree," Jaune concurred, leaning over an adjacent railing. "The gold from our dungeon run isn't going to last forever. And splitting it between three people is not going to replenish it. I might stay in the communal dorms for now until I have something saved up."

 _That completely defeats the purpose of the communal dorms. You're supposed to get out of them as quickly as possible._

"Then it's settled," Weiss concluded. "Tomorrow we will head to the questing house early in the morning. If we can take care of this quest quickly, then it should not be an issue." She moved closer to Jaune. "And when we take on our final quest. You will not screw this up!" The Princess raised her voice towards the end to burn that into his skull.

Jaune let out a breath of air. "Yes, ma'am..."

* * *

 **I hope you guys like this chapter. I would have finished it earlier this week, but I got sidetracked and couldn't finish it. We'll pick it up when Weiss and Jaune go on their first quest together.**

 **After that, we'll have a time skip to the next part of the plot. And then the ball will get rolling. I wanted to begin introducing our characters and get their dynamic working. Maybe around chapter fourty or fifty we'll finally see our baddies for the story.**

 **And Ozpin's speech was the longest monologue I've ever written. It took me two days to write the damn thing because I had to literally create the entire backstory to this world.**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **Active Debuff**

 **Aura Exhaustion**

 **Aura will not fully generate for several days. Due to differences in constitution values, the duration for the debuff to be active can differ from person to person. With the debuff active, you are more susceptible to injuries and you may experience hypersensitivity in certain regions of your body.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level 10**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 21**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Defence: 16**

 **Constitution: 22**

 **Debuff:**

 **Damaged**

 **The damaged plate is more susceptible to being pierced from a weapon. A well-placed warhammer or even a bodkin arrow will punch through the plate.**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm back bitches!**

 **I had four exams last week! Four! FOUR! I got the whole train run on me last week! It was the Bell Gargoyles all over again! No lube either!**

 **But I did beat Dark Souls 1! I parried that bastard, Gwyn, to death! And now I can move onto Dark Souls 2 when they make it backwards compatible for the Xbox One.**

 **Anyways... I can do two chapters this week. I'm going to try updating To Those Who Survived The Fall, and maybe Beacon's Number One if I can find the motivation to do so. (I have to make it relatable and it's a really difficult fic to write.) Or I will try getting The Lengths We Must Go To done this week.**

 **So, in this chapter, I move up the pacing a little bit. It's just getting the quest and talking to the contract giver (I cut out all of the explaining the world mechanics in this one. We're just doing business with this chapter.) Next chapter will be all about the hunt. That is going to be a two chapter piece because I've got lots to cover on their journey. Then we'll have a time skip and our next dungeon run.**

 **And for the monsters in this world. I take them all from European Mythology so there is going to be overlap with the Witcher series who uses Slavic Mythology and Skyrim who uses Nordic and some other Pagan mythological creatures.**

 **The reason why it takes so long to get my chapters out is that I need to do research. I want to use monsters from other video games without making this thing a crossover. So I must make it so that I only use monsters from our world!**

 **Also, has anybody read KtyouVsWriting's, One-Night Brand? I've been reading that masterpiece for nearly two years and he finally started updating again! I really recommend you guys sit down and read it. There's fluff, smut, and drama! It is by far one of the best fanfics for RWBY that I've ever read. It's up there with my favourites like Chivalry, Jupiter, One Good Turn Deserves Another, Last Resort, and The Song of Her Heart. (I totally recommend you guys read these too! And review. And follow and favourite!)**

 **Last Thing! In two chapters, Jaune's passive shall be revealed! I need help coming up with a name for it! I know what I want it to be, but I have no words to describe it in a short label.**

* * *

 **Edit Note (2/2/20): Made some minor adjustments to chapter. Inserted a conversation for continuity, but didn't need to change very many things. This chapter is in line with what I wanted.**

* * *

Jaune strapped his breastplate to his chest, tightening its leather straps to his body and securing them with buckles. The flattened crystalline-shaped piece of metal perfectly fit and covered all of his torso, excluding the sides of his waist.

It was no longer the generic rounded breastplate of your average soldier. It was a bulwark that was meant for tanking. Too thick to be bent by normal means at just over a centimetre at its thickest. The design purely meant for thrusts or arrows to slide off the steel as well as not being able to be caved in by any large monsters.

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

The bang-up job earned him a quarter of a level upon finishing the chest piece. Every other piece of armour he wore was also serviced at the same time, tipping him even further to his next level. And he was tantalisingly close to level eighteen.

Jaune salivated at the thought of being able to earn that last ten per cent he needed.

 _Control yourself Jaune!_

He shook his head, side-to-side. The repeated shaking of his brain caused some dizziness but cleared his mind.

For the last several days, since Jaune had fought the hobgoblin, he had been getting these cravings for Exp. It wasn't anything too debilitating, starting out as a feeling of being drawn to any Exp sources. Now, for example, his entire body physically reacted to the need over a psychological response.

 _Maybe Pyrrha was right about me gaining levels so fast? Everyone else had to farm for smaller prey when they were training to become heroes, but I'm almost caught up to Ruby. Nobody told me about the cravings, though. Probably some sort of Pavlovian response to the reward._

 _Hopefully, Weiss has something that can distract me..._

Those goblins last week were soon to join the drowners as being totally worthless. While goblins were okay at best as a means to farm. They were the base monster or pest every village had to deal with at one time or another. Meaning weak and barely providing enough Exp for someone who was near level twenty.

But they were good to experiment on. Goblins were not exactly dangerous unless you were cornered or injured. So they made excellent targets for any new techniques you wished to try out. Such as the grain alcohol bomb, which had been the first time he tested the idea.

Yang nor Ruby had not needed to know that, of course. Had the older of the two known that Jaune had never attempted to use alcohol as a firebomb, she may have killed him before the hobgoblin nearly did. Ruby may have followed along with it just to see what would have happened. Or she may not have grasped the danger of the situation they were in.

That being said if Weiss had wished to go on another goblin quest. Jaune had a few more ideas he wanted to try out. Something involving the Dust Crystals possibly...

Jaune looked up at the clock. It was seven fifty in the morning, and Weiss had demanded he and Ruby meet her outside the Questing House at precisely eight. The Princess is a stickler for punctuality after all. And Jaune really needed to hurry up and get out of the locker room.

He grabbed a few more supplies that might be useful in any situation as he had no idea what to expect. Healing potions were a given since the last time he tried casting _Heal_ on himself, it didn't go too well. A stamina potion for... well anything having to do with exhaustion of course. It didn't help that the bottle was labelled "The Potion of the Stallion."

Yang had made fun of him for purchasing the elixir from a red-faced Velvet. And the meaning behind the quip was not lost on him. Jaune had been around horses and cattle all his life and was very well aware of what they were capable of.

Finally, the last of his silver dust. The sack was still about half full, but he needlessly wasted some when fighting the mare on his first day. Any silver a monster hunter has on their person should be regarded as the holiest object they could come across. And Jaune threw half a sack into a low-level monster and tossed the leather pouch aside.

Regardless of whether or not it was wasted, it should still come in handy.

...

The Questing House was not far from the main hall and the locker rooms. Only a short walk separated the two structures. Not many people would be frequenting the building at this hour due to how early it was, either. Luckily for Jaune, the Questing Booth opened right at eight in the morning.

Jaune spotted Weiss standing outside the building. Her arms crossed and tapping her right foot. She was clearly having a hard time concealing her lack of patience. Something he was well aware of by now.

"Hey," Jaune uttered, still taking slow strides as he closed the gap between them. "Seen Ruby yet?"

 _No sign of a short girl wearing a bright red hood. Hopefully, she didn't sleep in or got held up by Yang._

He had convinced a suspiciously willing Yang to switch groups with Pyrrha, leaving her sister to team up with Jaune and Weiss. Ruby seemed reluctant to go along with it but acquiesced when Jaune brought a possible monster hunt into the picture. Learning that Weiss was going to be joining them seemed to help his case as well for the Reaper.

"No," Weiss answered, her tone holding some attitude behind it. "And why did you choose to bring her along?! We could have used someone stronger! Or not as childish..."

 _I should come to expect this level of criticism for all of my choices._

"Did you want me to bring Yang along," Jaune riposted, knowing that was going to get a reaction out of her.

"NO," she shouted bashfully, cheeks turning bright red. "I-I mean no..."

Clearly, there were worse choices for group members. Weiss may have expected Pyrrha or somebody else... Actually, Pyrrha was probably the only other person that would have met her standards and was without a partner already.

"I brought Ruby along because I promised to teach her how to track monsters," Jaune explained, deciding to take pity on the Mage. "She's also pretty strong. I saw her literally make goblins explode when she cut them with her scythe!" That was an enjoyable memory to relive.

Weiss' expression seemed to relax. "How is that possible," she wondered, her right hand cupping her chin. "She wasn't using an ability?" Jaune shook his head. "Then it must have been due to her agility."

 _Glad I'm not the only one who noticed. Compared to the rest of us, Ruby seems almost overpowered when she's swinging a scythe around._

"Besides," Jaune continued. "You told Ruby about _it_! So, we're all stuck in the same boat. "

The Heiress almost seemed to deflate, realising she didn't have an argument. "I guess..." she mumbled dejectedly. "I think it was a mistake to tell her now."

Luckily, the three had already hashed out the grounds of their partnership. With Ruby knowing about Weiss' secret, the other two made sure she promised to keep it to herself.

A sudden rush of wind nearly blew the two students off their feet. A whirl of rose petals followed the cloaked figure.

"Hi guys," Ruby chirped in her usual childish manner. Her cloak fluttering in the wind. "Sorry I'm late... I kind of slept in."

 _Knew it!_

Jaune turned to Weiss who was making disgusted noises. She was picking rose petals out of her hair and off her clothes. Somehow the Princess maintained a perfect poise despite her disgruntled attitude.

"These damned rose petals," Weiss grumbled, flicking the last one off her shoulder. "Why must your abilities be so messy?!" She turned to the Reaper, with a stern look.

"I-I don't know," Ruby stammered, threatening to go back into her shell. "I can't control it. It just happens..."

She seemed to be having the same trouble with keeping up with Weiss as did the Heiress with her sister. Or it was due to her nerves when it came to Weiss' secret.

 _Even Professor Goodwitch complained about my abilities..._

Weiss groaned. "Fine, just try not to use it indoors or anywhere next to me," she relented quickly. It was unusual to see her let up on chiding someone so quickly. Maybe they were finally making progress with her?

Jaune went for the door. Not much had changed from the last time he had visited with Yang and Ruby. Only this time, more adventurers were going about their day, either retrieving drinks from the bar or grabbing a bite to eat.

The Knight spied Velvet standing behind the desk, writing something down. She seemed to be unaware of his presence. Luckily no other adventurers stood in the way of them. So Jaune pushed forward with Weiss and Ruby in tow.

Velvet looked up, and her expression immediately brightened up. "Ah, Jaune," she chirped in the same manner as Ruby. Although her accent made her sound more sophisticated. "It's good to see you today! Have your injuries healed?"

Jaune gave her a two-finger salute. "Yeah," he answered. "And thanks for asking." He stepped up to the counter. "So any new quests today?"

There had to be something good. Maybe not dragons just yet, but something with a little more oomph than goblins. Jaune had to stop himself from drooling at the thought of more Exp.

Velvet turned to face the notice board. "Yes, since last week, we had a few more goblin infestations crop up. Some first-years took on those quests, so they are unavailable right now. But there was a recent missive sent from Sir Samson of Westberg asking for assistance."

Jaune found the specific parchment she mentioned.

 ** _By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all of its holdings._**

 ** _Sir Samson of Westberg, has petitioned the adventurers of Vale for assistance. Unexplained phenomena have been taking place in his lands. The cause for the disturbance is unknown, but it has led to the deaths of several labourers in the Lord's service. Sir Samson has offered a generous bounty of one-thousand five-hundred Lien for any information leading to the solution of the matter. More Lien will be offered to those who solve the issue._**

"Hmm..." Jaune stroked his beardless chin. _Seems like an easy enough quest. But the phenomena could be anything. Hopefully, the Lord has some more information he can give us. Stumbling into a necromancer's ritual site would be annoying._

"What do you think," Weiss asked, standing just off to his side. "The reward is satisfactory, especially since they only wish for consultation. It would merely be an afternoon's trip to Westberg from here."

"Yeah, we could be back before dinner, tomorrow," Ruby spoke up from behind them.

Jaune turned to the women. "I'd rather not half-ass the job," he contradicted, gesturing his hands towards Ruby and Weiss. The Princess grumbled at his language. "Even if we provided the information on what to do. The Lord would send one of his peasants or a guard to act on it." He pulled the parchment off the wall. "That peasant would probably run away at the first sign of trouble. Or he would get himself killed."

"You have a point," Weiss concurred, seemingly deep in thought. "Peasants tend to be cowards in most cases due to them valuing their own lives more than their lord's wishes."

That and many of them are poorly trained in any sort of combat. Most peasants in Vale tend to never have any reason to fight unless it's their last resort. There hasn't been a serious war on Sanus for the last ten or so years either. So, many have never needed the experience.

"So are we leaving right now," Ruby asked, adjusting her over-sized backpack to fit more comfortably. "I need to say bye to Yang before we leave."

Unbeknownst to Ruby, Yang had actually appeared right behind the Reaper.

"You don't need to look very far for me, Rubes," she whispered into Ruby's ear, wrapping one arm around her sister's neck and dragging her knuckles through the redhead's hair.

The Brawler tormented the Reaper for a solid two minutes before relenting.

"You guys are heading out," Yang asked with her trademark grin. Her younger sister stood next to the girl, wearing a pout.

"Yes," Weiss answered, maintaining her perfect poise. "We're heading to Westberg."

Yang's grin shrunk to a smirk. "Okay, don't have too much fun without me!"

She hugged her sister, who quickly ran for the door shortly after. Weiss followed leaving the two blondes standing in the middle of the Questing House. Before Jaune could follow, Yang grabbed him by the underside of his bicep and pulled him close.

"Ummm, Yang?"

 _What's going on..._

"This is the first time I've let Ruby go out by herself," Yang explained, her tone becoming deathly serious. "I want her to be more independent and not rely on me. The only reason why I'm letting her go out with you is that she trusts you. So take care of her!" Yang squeezed his arm even tighter. "Am I clear?!" Her eyes narrowed and flashed red.

"Crystal..." Because saying anything else would have caused an angry older sibling to give me a nice dirt nap.

 _I can relate._

She let go of his arm. "Good, Yang's tone did a one-eighty. "And sorry about that! I just needed to put on my big sister face!" She flashed him a cheerful smile.

It was a big sister face indeed...

...

Jaune swiftly made his exit with Yang still inside. His back turned to the rest of the courtyard and stared at the door.

The implication behind what would have - no - what would happen to him if anything befell Ruby was nothing less than a severe beating. That's if Jaune understood the Brawler well enough. But, given they were older siblings, instinctual protectiveness ran strong through both of them. Yang just happened to be willing to go the full distance for her little sister.

"Jaune," Ruby called out from behind him. "What did Yang want to talk to you about?"

 _How did she know?! Okay, Jaune, just work your magic..._

"She just wanted to tease me," he shamelessly lied. "Going out with two beautiful women such as yourselves makes it look like I'm trying to get with either one of you." Both Weiss and Ruby's cheeks immediately performed a great impression of the latter's cloak.

 _Sorry guys..._

"T-THAT BETTER NOT BE TRUE," Weiss shouted at him in embarrassment. She crossed her arms and put on a pout, turning away from the two of them.

"The first part of that is true, but the second part is not," Jaune confidently clarified his position. He didn't do anything worth getting angry at him over, so he was safe from most chiding.

"G-Good," Weiss mumbled, her blush growing slightly darker. "A-And don't get any ideas..."

"The only ideas I get are when there are monsters around," Jaune replied, not breaking the act he put up. The embarrassment for the two girls would save him from having to explain that Yang was merely overprotective.

"C-Can we just find a carriage..."

 **[Several Hours Later]**

Arriving in Westberg several hours later brought along a new change in scenery. The town was about half the size of Bar, but twice the size of Saexhollow. Just large enough to be considered a small town that crowded itself around a large fort in the centre.

The style of construction was the same as Saexhollow as well, but also resembled Bar's style of architecture. Wattle and Daub homes with thatch rooves. Only this town had more buildings made from stone like Bar did. It was more a fledgeling township on the verge of being an actual town.

Jaune hopped off the back of their carriage along with Ruby and Weiss when it stopped. The atmosphere of the town was a lot like that of Bar. It was familiar with all of the sights and smells of your typical Valish village.

"Finally," Weiss groaned, stretching her arms and legs out after the long carriage ride. "I thought that was never going to end."

The trip to Westberg wasn't too terrible. Jaune, Weiss, and Ruby were crammed into the back of a covered wagon with some other goods. While there wasn't too much space to stretch out and sleep through the ride. There was enough to be comfortable.

"It was kind of nice," Ruby added her opinion in.

"That's because you slept through the entire trip," Jaune reminded her.

The girl had been using him as a pillow for the duration of the voyage. Not that Jaune minded since Ruby was one of his best friends by this point. But it had been pretty boring because Weiss was reading the entire time and he didn't bother to bring a book himself.

"Oh, yeah..."

As the trio walked further into town, more of the sights became visible.

An armourer was finishing a new breastplate at his smithy. Merchants were selling goods at stalls. The local baker was pulling fresh loaves from the oven. People were just going about their business like any other day.

A few of the younger residents of the village threw a few stares their way. Some girl's laid eyes on Jaune and shamelessly began chatting away with their friends. A few of the guys boldly stared at Weiss and Ruby but gave Jaune jealous looks.

"This place kind of reminds me of my hometown, Bar," Jaune mentioned off-hand, ignoring the generous amount of eyes on the trio.

Ruby skipped closer to him. Most of her face was shrouded by her cloak. "Do you live near here," she asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah," Jaune answered. "Bar's to the west of here, right on the edge of the frontier. I've never here before, but the towns have pretty much the same layout. The terrain's the same too."

"How can you possibly know the land if you've never been here," Weiss pointed out.

"It's Sanus, Weiss," Jaune gave part of an answer. "If it's not jungles and swamplands in the south. It's forests and rough terrain everywhere else."

"Patch is kind of like that too," Ruby added on. "It's mostly forested, and not many people live there because of the Leshens."

"Most of the planet is like that, Ruby," Weiss asserted, holding her right hand out while she spoke. "Ever since the Calamity Wars ended, most of the planet remained deserted. Monsters such as those Leshens may have had the opportunity to flourish without the threat of the heroes and adventurers coming to slay them."

 _The Calamity Wars... I've never heard of that before. Maybe it's another name for The Great War? Other countries would have had different names for it due to retellings of the story or whatever their historians decided to call it from their perspective._

"Anyways, we need to meet the local lord and discuss the terms of the contract," Weiss diverted the conversation. "Do either of you know any proper etiquette for speaking to a person of noble status." Jaune nodded, and Ruby shook her head.

"I was friends with the Count of Bar," Jaune informed the Heiress, rubbing the back of his head. "But we really didn't practice any fancy etiquette."

"Patch didn't have a noble," Ruby spoke up. "We're a free territory."

Weiss looked at the two adventurers with a stunned expression. "You're kidding me," she muttered, pinching the bright of her nose. "Then do please try to be quiet. I'd prefer if neither of you says something off-handed and offends the Lord."

Coming up to the gate of the castle, Jaune spied a few guards on the walls and by the entrance. Two men guarded the space just behind the portcullis. Another half dozen men were hiding in the machicolations of the gatehouse.

It was an enormous concentric castle. The walls were just over thirty feet high with the watchtowers adding an additional twenty feet to the height. A massive stone and wood composite keep stood in the centre.

Whoever Sir Samson was, he was a very wealthy man to be able to afford all of this. Keeps did not come cheap, nor did they grow in the forest. Someone had to haul all of those stones from the quarry to here.

"Oi," one of the gate guards called out, sporting a thick accent. "What do ye tykes want?! Do ye have business with the Lord?"

 _At least they were friendlier than the idiot with the bow._

Weiss spoke up first," Yes, we are heroes from Beacon Academy." She produced the contract parchment from her satchel. "We are here to discuss a contract with Sir Samson."

"That's it aye," the other guard spoke up, rubbing his chin. "Well, if ye want to meet Sir Samson. We'll need ye to pay a toll. Everyone's got to pay their dues, and you heroes are no exception." He pointed at the students, bobbing the limb. "Say twenty Lien per, and we'll let ye pass."

"Ummm..." Weiss pulled her hand back. Clearly, she didn't know what to do in this situation.

 _This is bullshit..._

Jaune's right hand started moving for his sword. Guards were known for being corrupt sometimes, and these two were no exception. Typically, those who were being extorted either killed the guards and were done with it or just beat them badly enough, so they learned their lesson.

Before Jaune could do anything, a large, portly man came out from behind the guards. He was wearing a blue and yellow doublet covered by a breastplate, not unlike Professor Port. His face was unshaven with black hair turning white in some places in his long beard.

He threw one of the guards against the wall, and the other received a fist to the jaw. Both men fell without giving up any sort of fight. The clanking of their armour against the stone was the only noise that came out of the two men.

"IF I CATCH EITHER OF YE EXTORTING ADVENTURERS AGAIN, YE'LL MEET THE SOFT END OF MY SHEILA," he shouted down at the brand new floor mats. The students winced as the man berated the two guards hoping they didn't go after them.

"Sheila..." Ruby and Jaune whispered to each other.

Turning to Jaune and the group, the man composed himself and stood straight up. "I apologise for making ye watch that," he declared, his voice taking on a more pleasant tone. "Someone has to keep these tossers in line." He ran a hand through his hair. "You have business with Sir Samson?"

"Y-Yes," Weiss answered, still stunned by the recent show of violence.

"Come with me then," he urged, turning towards the castle.

 **[Inside the Keep]**

The interior of the keep was beautifully decorated. High ceilings adorned with elaborate murals and paintings that covered every square inch of the walls. Some surfaces held old swords or a family crest. Others had the occasional monster head or the antlers of some other animal.

Servants and various workers shuffled in and out of the halls. Guards were posted at the occasional door leading to another room. A few children darted by and quickly weaved through the legs of the taller teenagers.

Coming to a sizeable iron-plated door. The man pushed the hatch open and allowed the students to enter. He shuffled past a large hound laying on a bearskin rug.

The office was dimly lit by the flames in the fireplace. Jaune looked around and took in the setting. It was a nice office if one could consider it that. Not having the same gravitas as Professor Ozpin's, but it showed the man who owned it had some status.

The man sat down in a large chair just on the other side of a desk. "All right, ye got me here," he began. "What did ye want to discuss?"

Weiss seemed flabbergasted for a moment. "Y-You're Sir Samson," she asked nervously. The look on the Princess' face indicated she made a grave error.

She didn't seem to expect any of this. Weiss may have had a different image in her mind when she thought of what a knight was supposed to look like. Somebody who was raised in a city the entire time was not used to how people acted on the frontier.

"Of course I am," he brazenly answered making Weiss jump. "Who else in this town would be?!" He leaned forward, placing one hand on his knee and sported a broad grin. He looked like a bear both in size and appearance.

Weiss curtsied and bowed her head. "It is an honour to meet you, Sir Samson." Her greeting seemed rehearsed as if she repeated it dozens of times to herself beforehand. It had all of the perfection somebody of the royal class would have needed in Court.

"BWAHAHAHAA," Samson started cackling, slapping his leg as he leaned back. "Lass! We do not do that shite out here! This is the frontier!" He leaned forward. "As long as ye know who's in charge is all that matters!"

"Y-Yes Sir," Weiss nervously replied, turning to Jaune and Ruby. "These are my companions Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc." She turned back to Samson. "I-I am Weiss Schnee..."

"A Schnee... We don't get too many of ye out here." Samson turned to Jaune. "And boy, ye wouldn't happen to be Nicholas' son," he asked in a commanding tone.

"Yes, Sir," Jaune nervously answered.

 _How does he know_ Dad?

"HAHA," he burst out laughing. Standing up, he took Jaune's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Arc's are always welcome in Westberg, my boy! Your father did some work for me back in his mercenary days. I see yer following in his footsteps?"

"My father never went to the Academy," Jaune corrected. "I'm the first one in my family to try."

 _Dad was a mercenary, but he never had any schooling either. I wonder where he learned all of those spells then?_

"Well, you may not know this, but your father was a force of nature back in his day," Samson explained, taking a drink from a tankard on his desk. "Bandits - goblins - a wyvern! Hell, he even fought in a small war we had going on - back twenty years ago!" He took a breath. "But I digress. Yer here for a contract. I sent a missive to Beacon asking for help, and ye picked it up?" Samson stood up and went over to another table with a map on it. Everyone else followed behind him.

Jaune took over the conversation. This part was his speciality.

"What can you tell us about the problem," Jaune demanded, placing both hands down on the table. "You need to be as specific as possible and give us everything you know. When was the first sighting of the 'phenomenon?' Where did it happen? At what time? Anything you can tell us would be helpful."

Samson chuckled. "Maximilian said ye knew what ye was doing," he commented. "Especially after helping him clear out that vampire brood. I'm impressed." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Recently I appropriated an old fort twenty miles north of here. The knight who used to live there was executed by the Crown for crimes against his Majesty. Ever since then, we've seen strange lights and figures all over the damn place."

"Any people coming and going," Jaune cut in.

"Aye," Samson replied. "I sent a few men to take stock of what remained in the building." He paused. "Only one of them came back."

"Did your man say what happened," Weiss asked, from the side. She came up to the edge of the table as did Ruby.

"All he mentioned was that a grotesque maiden appeared from out of nowhere and tore my men to pieces," Samson explained, his tone still remaining light-hearted. "It happened in the middle of the afternoon a few weeks back. Recently I sent two men to see if we could retrieve the bodies for burial and they ran back screaming - crying - and praying for forgiveness from the gods. One of those knobs ran out of the town and left his family to fend for themselves."

"Hmm... It could be anything, really," Jaune concluded. "Banshees, wraiths, a demon..."

Flashing lights and figures is a sure sign of a haunting. But the kicker was the appearance of a female spirit in the afternoon. That's a noonwraith or poludnitsa as some people call them. A dangerous but otherwise manageable problem if you were careful.

"Please don't tell me it is a demon," Samson pleaded. "That is the last thing this town needs."

 _What else is going on in this town?_

"It's most likely a noonwraith," Jaune explained. "A woman must have died there not too long ago and came back to haunt the place. She might not have been appropriately buried so we'll have to find her corpse and burn it."

"That's it..."

"No," Jaune continued. "We'll have to banish her spirit and any others that have appeared since her first sighting. Those men you sent have not been buried, and the fort does not seem to be on hallowed ground. They'll have to be burnt as well." Jaune took note of where the fort was located on the map. "Do you care if the fort remains standing at all?"

Samson rubbed his beard. "No," he answered. "The Master Engineer we hired said the whole thing's got to come down. It'll be cheaper that way."

"Good," Jaune scribbled down the last details he needed. "Fights with wraiths can be messy. So, the fort may come down sooner than you wish. But, we'll try to leave the place standing."

"Yer planning on going there," Samson asked as if he were judging their sanity. "If you take care of the wraiths for us. A sack of five-hundred Lien is awaiting ye."

"Deal." Jaune held his hand out.

"Glad to be doing business with ye." Samson took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

 **[Westberg]**

"That's over," Ruby mumbled.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "I'm surprised he knew my father. And he knew who I was."

"Whatever," Weiss spoke up, ignoring Jaune and Ruby. "Why didn't you mention that nobles out here behaved in such a way?!"

"You didn't ask," Jaune plainly stated. Weiss shot him an angry look.

 _Does it feel colder now, or is it just me?_

"I embarrassed myself in there because of you," Weiss chided the Knight. "In Atlas, all members of the nobility abide by strict guidelines! Any failure to adhere to those standards is to be ashamed of! I was a bumbling mess!" Weiss paced back and forth as she ranted.

"Weiss, it really wasn't that bad," Ruby tried to placate the Heiress. "He thought it was funny..."

"At my expense!"

Jaune decided to step in before this could go any farther.

"Okay-okay," he spoke up, getting in between the two. "I probably should have introduced us. You would have embarrassed yourself anyways if you tried to curtsy like that again. Most nobles outside of the capital don't care for etiquette." He rubbed the back of his head. "Valaens don't usually behave by strict guidelines."

"I noticed," Weiss grumbled. "We need to find a place to stay tonight anyways. I saw an inn when we stopped in town earlier."

...

Weiss led the group back to the town. The inn she chose was of modest size and not too busy. It consisted of a log cabin style building with a roof made from wooden shingles. Several tables and benches sat on the outside where other guests sat.

Pushing the door to the inn open revealed a setting much like that of the Questing House. It was a bustling Valish inn with men and women sitting at the various tables. A few barmaids were walking around with their trays serving drinks to the customers. The bartender stood on the other side of the counter pouring drinks.

"You guys find a table," Jaune suggested. "I'll talk to the bar-keep and see if I can get us a room." Ruby and Weiss nodded and preceded to head deeper into the building.

It was getting pretty late now. The trip to Westberg was almost eight hours and discussing the terms of the contract took nearly a full hour. Had travelling to the town taken any longer, they would have had to stop for the night and then resume travelling in the morning.

Stepping up to the bar, Jaune waited for the bar-keep to finish with the other customers. Hopefully, there was a room available for them to stay in. Either that or they would have to camp outside of town.

"What do you need, Kid," the bar-keep came right out and asked.

"A room to stay in for tonight," Jaune replied. "I've got three people with me." He just needed to work his charisma and negotiate for a reasonable price. "And whatever's cooking in the pot over there."

 _If there was one thing Mom taught me, it was how to get a good deal._

"That'll be twenty-five Lien," she offered.

"Throw in drinks too?! And I'll pay in coin."

"Deal."

Jaune dropped a small stack of Lien on the table. The silver and copper coloured coins made a collective clink as they landed. The bar-keep scooped them up and gave Jaune a nod.

The Knight looked around and spotted Weiss and Ruby sitting in a booth a few feet away from the bar. Ruby waved at him, and he began heading over to sit with the two.

"Alright," he began. "I got us a room and food for tonight. We'll be rooming together so you two can share the bed." Jaune sat in the booth across from the girls.

"Fine," Weiss huffed. "Just stay on your side, Ruby."

 _I doubt that will happen._

Jaune signalled over to the bar-keep that they were ready. The woman manning the bar nodded and called over a barmaid to get their food. Whatever was in that pot smelled of herbs and thick broth. It became even better as the waitress brought it over.

"Here you go," the barmaid said as she set down the bowls. The woman was about their age. Her brown hair came down past her waist, and two ice-blue eyes stared out from under her bangs.

She flashed Jaune a coy grin. Setting down his bowl in front of him, she bent over, giving Jaune a generous view of her cleavage. All in one move that didn't look too out of place. When she stepped away from the table, her hips seemed to shake a bit more than before.

"Down boy..." A voice came from the other side of the table. Jaune turned to see Weiss glaring daggers at him and Ruby finding the floor to be very interesting at the moment.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Weiss muttered, rolling her eyes. "What do we need for this hunt tomorrow?"

 _Now we're getting to business!_

"We need salt for your blades," Jaune began. "Only enough to coat them once. It should be easy enough to find in town."

"Why salt," Ruby asked.

"Salt and silver harm spirits," Weiss explained before Jaune could. "Do you know the saying 'One must throw salt over their shoulder into the face of the devil that lurks there'? It is meant to ward off evil in the event you happen to spill salt, but it has been used to keep spirits away from homes by drawing a line of salt outside your door."

"Okay," Ruby mused. "I get it." She took a bite from her bowl.

Jaune looked down at his own bowl. It was a nice steaming chicken gumbo fresh from the stew pot. A Valish customary dish especially in the southern swamps. But it was valued everywhere in the kingdom as a more flavourful stew.

Taking one bite, the taste of peppers, okra, and parsley hit his tongue all at once. The heat behind the dish was not forgotten by Jaune either. But the spice was not overwhelming; it only served to make the recipe better.

Looking up at Weiss, Jaune noticed her face was bright red, and she was sweating. The peppers and whatever else had been added into the dish seemed to have kicked in harder for her.

"Are you okay, Weiss," Jaune asked.

He didn't get a response as the Heiress downed half a tankard of ale. Which happened to be Jaune's tankard, not her's. She ordered water instead of beer like Jaune and Ruby.

"It's really hot," the Heiress whimpered.

"That was my beer..."

 **[Later that night]**

The sounds of music roared throughout the tavern. A fast-paced melody introducing an energy to the room that provoked several dozen to stand and begin dancing. This jig led by a flautist and his associates, conducting the townsfolks into some chaotic revelry. Any tables in the area were pushed aside to make room for the dancers. Those who were not in the centre stage stood around in a circle, clapping their hands together with the same pace as the music.

Some of the patrons had their arms linked together and were spinning with one another. Using their partners to keep them in motion. Others were doing the same but holding each other with their hands. The rest were performing their own motions that followed the pace set by the band.

Jaune watched everything from the sideline, contemplating whether or not to join in. It reminded him of the many nights where he and some of the other guys would head to the local tavern on a Friday evening after working in the fields or helping build a hut. Usually joined by several young women who found their dance partners or just wanted to hang out. Jaune, of course, never landed anything substantial besides a dance.

He considered asking Weiss to see if she wanted to join the other revellers. However, she didn't seem like the type of girl who would be into that kind of dancing. Maybe she was more of a waltzer? Which was the most logical answer to the question given she was a princess. A member of the nobility would have to learn those skills and perfect them. Many may have brushed past the dancing styles more widely practised by members of the plebeian class in favour of more sophisticated styles of dance such as the waltz.

Looking over at the girl, Jaune noticed her cheeks were flushed. Obviously feeling the effects of half of Jaune's beer from earlier. The boy had given up on that specific tankard and ordered a new one. Weiss finished her first and even had another one brought to her as well. But she only seemed halfway finished with the one in her hands.

 _Maybe I should cut her off?_

It would be best that he did do that as to mitigate the hangover Weiss was going to have the next morning. Jaune didn't need his party member to be bending over into a nearby bush every five minutes to puke her guts up. Especially since they had an almost two-day journey before they would arrive at the fort.

"Okay, Weiss, I'm cutting you off for the night," he asserted, getting up from the table. Jaune reached for the tankard and pulled it away from the Heiress. The Heiress tried to grasp the mug, but it slipped out from her dainty hands. A pout crossed her lips as the taller boy set it where she couldn't reach for it. "You'll thank me later..."

"Hey, that was mine," the Mage whined. A slight slur to her words. The beer, although light, was starting to kick in. "Give that back!" Her expression mimicked that of a small puppy denied a treat.

Ruby giggled and slid out from her chair. "Come on, Weiss," she urged the intoxicated girl. "We've got a big day ahead of us. So we need to get to bed." She grabbed the Heiress' hand and gently pulled her closer to the edge of the booth.

The Reaper seemed to have experience dealing with this sort of thing. Maybe with Yang, their father, or the unnamed uncle, the former of the three mentioned? The Brawler, with the way she drinks must have been a handful at times. Jaune couldn't imagine what Ruby would be like if she got drunk.

Weiss tried to stand up, but her legs had another idea, and she nearly fell over. Jaune barely caught her before she was able to hit the floor.

 _Okay, I'm not sure she can walk on her own..._

 _Ugh, I was hoping I didn't have to do this._

Jaune turned to Ruby. "Go on ahead, I've got her," he said before looking back down at the Heiress.

He put his right hand on the middle of her back and hooked his left arm beneath her legs. In one motion, he swept his crush off her feet and into his arms. Not the way he had imagined this first happening, but it was interesting nonetheless.

"Wheeee," Weiss murmured as Jaune picked her up. She nuzzled her head into his chest with one of her hands pressed against his stomach. The feeling of her palm touching his abs sent a shiver down Jaune's spine.

 _Just ignore it..._

Jaune turned to the stairs leading up to where he and the rest of his party were staying. He shuffled through the crowd, trying to avoid running into others. The package he was carrying didn't try to squirm or move around which made this easier.

"So warm," Weiss mumbled, shifting herself slightly.

Jaune glanced down at the sleeping Heiress. If the definition was apt enough to describe her, she was beautiful. Weiss did not wear any makeup - not that she needed it. Her natural beauty was more than enough. Only marred by a single scar near her left eye. Perfect even with how she owned her imperfections. Her looks added to how she carried herself and her genius-level intellect. Absolutely fantastic in almost every way possible.

 _Eyes forward..._

He snapped himself out of it.

He didn't need to be thinking about that kind of stuff right now. Catching feelings for a girl who said she didn't want to be courted was already a bad idea. Between that and her status, he didn't have a chance with her. There was no way he could ever hope the Princess would feel the same way about him.

It hurt realising that, but it would go away in time. His crush was a fleeting one at best, reminiscent of one held by a young teenager. Maybe another girl would come along one day. But right now, Jaune needed to focus on his work. He needed to get stronger if he wanted a shot at becoming a knight.

Jaune pushed open the door to their room to find Ruby. She had already changed out of her clothes and was laying in bed. Light snoring emanated from beneath the covers. He set Weiss down next to her and pulled the blanket over her.

 _Ugghh, we've got a long day ahead of us..._

* * *

 **So, Jaune has given up on Weiss. It wasn't a big crush anyway. More of his rationale for giving up on her will come to surface in the next act.**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm not dead!**

 **I finished this chapter after nearly a month! First, it was the tests I was almost drowning in! Then I couldn't find any motivation to write because I was so tired from studying! Now I have a project due next week that my group hasn't done shit on yet!**

 **So things are going fairly well I suppose...**

 **Now onto this chapter. This is what I call a travelling chapter. Basically, these moments will be occurring occasionally with different quests I put our characters through. Major quests such as this one. So, this chapter is a compilation of moments that are connected together to give both good pacing and more bonding between our heroes.**

 **And what I had originally intended for this story as well. I want lots of dialogue where our characters just talk about anything and everything. Even if they are just shooting the shit. Because it shows great development in their relationships. I can also insert world building topics so I don't need to put in any long expositionary drops if they are actively talking about it.**

 **Besides that. This chapter is where we are going to see the first major development in Jaune's character. Where he makes a choice.**

 **In other news. I have two more stories on the way (maybe.) One is going to be following an OC team my friends and I had concocted. Team WVRN (Wyvern.) The other is another White Knight fic. Where Jaune and Weiss get stuck on an island. And I'll be able to put my Island Survival Hat on for that so I can present a slightly different realistic survival scenario than that of The Lengths We Must Go To. *Cough* Shameless Plug *Cough***

 **Finally, I will be going on hiatus until the semester is over. I got this chapter done so I could give the bad news. But I'll be back!**

* * *

 **Edit Notes (2/3/20): Minor changes to this chapter. Deleted first scene and placed it at the end of the previous chapter to keep all of the scenes in a day to day basis. Other than that, I made some changes to grammar and wording.**

* * *

 **[The Next Morning]**

Jaune pressed the small metal flask in his hands against Weiss' forehead. The cold metal was coated in a slight layer of condensation from its contents. An occasional water droplet fell onto the mattress below her.

Weiss stirred as she came to. She pressed her head further into the mug. "Mmmm, that feels good," she mumbled, without a slur this time. A small curl came to her lips.

 _Good, she's waking up..._

Jaune looked over to the other side of the room and found that Ruby had already gotten all of her stuff ready for the day. The Reaper had actually woken him up today. So things were going well at least.

Weiss opened her eyes and winced at the bright light. The obvious signs of a hangover had set in.

 _I shouldn't have let her drink any more than that first tankard... But who knew? Weiss got taken out by one and a half beers! Honestly pathetic if you asked me._

"Drink this," Jaune requested, going to close the curtains. "It's going to help with your headache."

She took a sip from the mug. "I apologise for my behaviour last night," Weiss opened. "I should not have had any alcoh-" Before she could go any farther, she clutched her head in obvious pain.

 _And here comes the headaches..._

"It's fine, Weiss," Jaune deflected. "Besides, welcome to adulthood. Your first hangover is a right of passage." Weiss shot him a small glare before wincing again.

"Please do not allow me to drink in the future," Weiss added on, holding her head in her hands. "I doubt I could handle very much and I do not wish to repeat this morning or last night."

"Yeah, no more beer for you Weiss," Ruby concurred from the side. "You can't keep up with any of our friends anyway."

 _Yang and I polished a bottle of whiskey off by ourselves. I doubt Weiss could handle half a shot._

Weiss couldn't say anything else as she winced even harder. The pain becoming greater as she remained up. And while it would be best for her to sleep for the rest of the day, they all really needed to get moving.

Jaune produced another mug. The faint aroma of arabica wafted from within the vessel. Setting that next to the nightstand, he stepped away from the bed to grab his bag.

 _Okay, we just need to buy some salt and four days worth of supplies._

 _Wish I had a portal right about now... Wait..._

Jaune turned around to face the Heiress. "Weiss," he spoke up. The Mage's head snapped in his direction. Her face buried deep into the tankard containing the coffee. "Do you know any portal magic?"

 _If she can cast a portal or knows of some way to create a portal, then this trip is going to be a lot easier._

"Yes, why do you ask," she answered with a question.

 _Why didn't you bring this up earlier! You're supposed to be the smart one!_ Jaune let out an internal sigh. _Doesn't matter as long as she knows portal magic. Better than legging it all the way there._

"Could you make a portal to the fort," he asked, leaning against a table. "Or maybe somewhere close to it..."

 _Here goes nothing._

Her face scrunched up in thought. She cupped her right hand over her mouth. "I cannot make one to the fort," she began, sounding disappointed. "I know some portal magic, but I am nowhere nearly as skilled as Professor Goodwitch or Arch-Mage Ironwood. Hence the reason why I did not know what that Teleportation Magicon was."

 _So that's why..._

"However, I can establish a link to the town and teleport us back from the fort." She paused. "It would be taxing on my magicka, but, I will be able to hold it long enough for all of us to pass through."

"It's a plan then," Jaune concluded, standing up straight. "We should head out after we buy some provisions. Ruby and I will handle that while you make yourself presentable..." An idea suddenly made itself known.

 _Wait... What if I use my healing magic to cure Weiss' hangover?_ Jaune pondered the idea a little more. _Worth a shot!_

He stepped closer to Weiss and held a hand out over her head. Jaune was hesitant about this because he didn't know how she was going to react. She would appreciate not having the headaches to deal with, however.

"What are you doing," Weiss asked with an annoyed tone. She looked as if she were about to swat his hand away.

"Hold on a second," Jaune deflected. "I'm trying something out..." He placed the hand on top of her head. " _Sano_..."

His hand started glowing lime-green. The miasma transferred to Weiss' head and radiated with a faint glow. She let out a groan of relief as the healing magic went to work.

"How does that feel now," Jaune asked, looking down at the Heiress. Now she didn't look like a zombie. So that was an improvement.

"Better, actually," she answered him, getting out of bed. "My headache is gone."

 _It seems there is another cure for hangovers._

Ruby let out a gasp. "Jaune, that was awesome," she exclaimed, clutching her fists below her chin. "Since when could you use magic?!" The Reaper stared at Jaune with the curious look and wide eyes.

Jaune chuckled. "I've always been able to use magic, Ruby," he answered. "But I could never actually cast a spell until I came to the Academy." _I'm glad I did too..._ He rubbed the back of his neck. "What about you?"

Maybe Ruby could pick some spells up as well? It would pad her resume out a little more as we took on more quests. And having a few more spellcasters around would make things interesting.

"Nah," she uttered. "My dad tried to get Yang and me to learn some, but it never worked out." Ruby twirled Crescent Rose around before cradling the scythe in her arms. "Besides, I am happy with my Crescent Rose!"

 _Yeah... you carry that thing around like a mother would an infant._

...

Jaune handed a small pile of coins to the trader. The supplies he purchased cost him and his party around forty Lien. Which was not a lot for nearly four days worth of food. A few cuts of dried meat, vegetables, bread, and cheese would be the main staple of their diets. Along with some extra salt for Ruby and Weiss' blades that could be used to preserve some fish.

Tucking the last of the provisions into his pack, Jaune made his way to the door.

 _Time to be a hero..._

Before he could reach the handle, Jaune noticed something out of the corner of his eye. On a coat rack near the door was a black length of fabric. Maybe some kind of blanket?

He reached out and took hold of the fabric. It wasn't a blanket but a cloak, almost like Ruby's. The length of the cloak came down just past his knees and tattered towards the bottom. The hood was similar to any ordinary cloak's but had a leather lining built into it to give the piece some form. Holding the entire thing together, however, was two metal pins bound together by a chain.

"Twenty Lien, if ye want it," the shop-keep spoke up. Jaune grabbed the garment and set a silver coin on the table. "Nice doing business with ye."

Throwing the cloak over his shoulders, the black fabric hugged his form. Ira Rubrum and Crocea Mors stuck out through a premade hole in the cape. Whoever sold it to the trader had used a sword like Jaune and had the foresight to not seal the hole, or they just didn't care and sold the cloak for drinking money. Regardless of the fabric's dusty appearance, it would keep him warm and dry.

Throwing the front door open, Jaune was met with Weiss and Ruby. The latter brightened up when she noticed him.

Ruby let out a yip. "Jaune, you got a cloak too," she said, cheerfully. The girl dashed over to him and inspected the garment. Her hands ran along the length of fabric.

"Yeah, I needed to buy one eventually," he explained, waiting for Ruby to finish checking him out. Wondering how she managed to find everything fascinating.

Ruby stepped away from him and beamed a smile at the boy. "Welcome to the club then," she declared. "Cloaks are awesome! They keep you nice and warm! You can sleep anywhere you want! T-They're just the best!"

 _Whatever you say, Ruby..._

"Don't you already have a cape," Weiss asked, sidetracking from the topic. "Why waste the money on this..." Her words trailed away as she gestured to the second-hand garment.

Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "Capes don't really do anything," he said. "Ruby pretty much hit it on the head though..."

Cloaks are probably one of the most useful pieces of clothing any adventurer could have. Being used for centuries by travellers and nomads for protection against the weather, be it sandstorms or heavy snow. Or in camp as something to sit on next to a campfire before wrapping yourself in the thick cloth and passing out.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now," she mumbled, walking over to a nearby wall. The Mage pulled a piece of chalk from her bag and began drawing a pentagram on the stone. Inside the star, she inscribed symbols in the language of magic.

Jaune walked up behind Weiss. "So this will bring us back to the village," he asked, reading the symbols. "Or are you just messing with the villagers, so they think a witch is among them?"

The last thing they needed was to be chased out of this village by peasants wielding pitchforks and torches. Not to many of them would take kindly to there being a mage among them. Especially with how superstitious the peasant class could sometimes be. All it would take is one rumour from a muttering wise-woman, and that Mage would be accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake before the day was done.

"Yes, and no," she answered. "Once the scribing is complete, it will disappear. I already took any misunderstandings into account, especially since we do not know of any Inquisitors among the villagers."

 _I almost forgot about them..._

"You think those guys from the church are here," Ruby spoke up. A mild tinge of fear hung in her voice. With good reason as well.

"I did not say they were here," Weiss, clarified. "It's merely a precaution." She finished the spell as the rune flashed with a bright orange light before vanishing. "One learns to be careful as a mage living on Solitas."

"Or as a mage living anywhere," Jaune quietly added on.

[Valish Forest]

Jaune readjusted one of the bags on his back. The two packs he was carrying were not that heavy. In fact, the only issue he had with hauling three bags around was how much they dug into his back. And the satchel on his side kept smacking him in the groin every time it somehow made its way to the front from where he tucked it.

"I'm just saying, I don't think it's fair that Jaune carries your bag," Ruby asserted her side of the argument.

Ruby and Weiss had been going at it for the last twenty minutes now. Between the Heiress thinking her sense of direction was perfect, and Ruby trying her best to help use the map. They weren't doing very well. Jaune had even stepped in to send them in the right direction, but the Mage's ego wasn't helping them at all.

Now the two were just going back and forth. Pointing out every little thing that the other was doing wrong or minor complaints really about the other's attitude. It reminded Jaune of his sisters. They somehow argued about anything and everything, but it never went past that. Even now, the girl's arguing wasn't a bad thing. It would help them get anything between them out of the way now instead of later.

"It's not that heavy, Ruby," Jaune spoke up, from the back of the group. "I wouldn't be carrying the bags around in a fight anyways."

Unless you want to die in the event of an ambush, of course. You are always supposed to drop everything in your hands or on your back. A bag could easily be snagged on a claw or a set of jaws, and then you would find yourself being thrown around like a ragdoll.

"That's beside the point, Jaune," she replied with a little more energy. "You have to do all of her work!"

"It also has to deal with my strength stat," Weiss added on. Her cheeks flushed red out of embarrassment. "And if you couldn't tell, I'm not built for strength, physically either."

 _That's why I carry your bags..._

"Then just work out," Ruby suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not that hard. Just lift weights and focus on different muscle groups. Yang forced me to when we started training"

 _I know what that's like..._

Jaune could still remember how sore he was on those days. Running laps around the perimeter of Bar until he threw up then kept going. Doing push-ups, curls, and squats past his limits. Even carrying heavy logs weighing hundreds of pounds around just to get into good enough shape so he could wrestle monsters to the ground.

Weiss let out a loud breath of air. "Even if I lifted weights, it wouldn't help me regardless if I began looking like your sister," she explained. "Stats limit how effective everything is. Thus wasting my time on a fruitless endeavour. And is why I don't wish to put effort into it!"

"It wouldn't hurt to do some conditioning, Weiss," Jaune intervened. "A little can go a long way to keep you in shape. And working on your strength would force more stat points in that direction, right?"

"Yes, it would," she reluctantly agreed. "But it takes years for something like that to happen. You can't force your Affinity to shift overnight."

"Your what," Ruby asked with a confused look on her face.

"My Affinity," Weiss repeated herself. "Every person has his or her own affinities for the governing stats. Hence the reason why no two people's stats are the same." She gestured over to Jaune. "Take him, for example. He's a knight, but his stats are not that of a knight's. They are, however, just enough for him to be considered a part of their class. The reason being that his Intelligence is above average for your typical hero, and well above the norm for most knights."

"Wait," Ruby spoke up. "You guys know each other's stats? Isn't that kind of private?" Both teens cheeks 'slightly' flushed.

That is a very intimate thing to know about another person. Like having sex with someone for the first time intimate. To the point, Jaune didn't even know his own family's stats, let alone any of his friends.

"Y-Yes," Weiss sputtered. Her cheeks still flushed red. "B-But, we do not know any specifics! Only inferences based off of previous experiences! Nothing more!"

"Oh, okay..." Ruby seemed to accept that and didn't choose to speculate.

Most people knew only what stats their peers may lean-to. Nobody would ever willingly give the specific numbers out unless it was with a lover. It was more acceptable socially to infer that information because you would learn it or figure it out as Weiss said. Even then, Mages and Rogues were never privy when it came to that.

"Back to the topic at hand," Weiss nervously continued. "Every person's stats will be specific to that person. Those who fall within certain categories get grouped into classes. Hence why there are three primary clades that everyone falls into. The Rogues, Warriors, and Mages. Then some subclades can be hybrids of different clades or new branches of the original three such as the Dragon Knights, Paladins, the Spellswords, Spartans, Rangers, and other classes which fuse one or more fighting styles."

"Basically, your stats are who you are, and what you like to do which can change depending on your interests," Jaune summarised the concept of Affinities. "I spent most of my time studying when I was younger, which helped build my Intelligence more than other knights. I also trained as a warrior. So if Weiss trained like a knight, she would become more like a knight."

"Well, you could have just said that," Ruby said, sounding slightly worn out from that lecture.

Weiss threw her hands in the air. "I give up..."

...

"If we pass through this part of the forest, we can reach a clearing," Weiss proposed, holding the map out in front of her. "From there, if we head north..." She pushed aside some branches in the way. "We can-" Weiss was cut off by Jaune grabbing her. He clasped a hand over her mouth and pulled her down into the bushes.

The girl did not offer much resistance as she was pulled to her knees. Ruby followed as she and Jaune crouched in the brush.

"Shhh." He put a finger over his mouth to silence her. Letting go of Heiress' mouth.

He pushed aside some branches obscuring his vision. In front of them was the clearing Weiss had mentioned. But there was a little something there that none of them wanted to run into. Something that would kill them without a second thought. Luckily he spotted it before Weiss broke through the cover.

In the clearing, there stood what seemed to be the silhouette of a man. White tufts of fur jutting out from his joints. His entire body black as midnight. Small armoured plates dotting his body, creating a thick carapace that could not be sundered by most adventurers. Claws the length of a dinner plate.

However, the creature did not move like a man. Its limbs spasmed and contorted in unnatural directions. What sounded like bones snapping with every movement. It jerked its body as if it were having seizures on every limb.

 _*CHCHCHHCHKCCKCH!*_ The creature let out a chittering sound. Not unlike those giant spiders, Jaune encountered during his first Task. It sent a shiver down his spine that shook his very core.

It was a Creature of Grimm. One of the remnants left over from their invasion of Remnant. Or possibly one that was sent through a portal and stranded here. Regardless, the demon was standing maybe twenty feet away from them.

"Back up, slowly," Jaune whispered to his partners. "We need to-"

"HUAARRRUAGHGAA!" Jaune was cut off by a shrill screech from the demon. Ruby and Weiss cringed as the cry rang out.

 _SHIT!_

Jaune tucked his head down, hoping it hadn't spotted them. There was really one thing they could do if that happened and it was to run as far and as fast as they could. Even then, it was not a guaranteed chance of surviving this encounter, nor was it a good idea.

Ruby began crouch walking back along the path they came from. Weiss followed right behind her. Jaune held back in case one of his swords got caught on something.

 _*Snap*_

A twig far off in the distance broke in the direction the group came from. Jaune was sure it was not from anybody hiding in the bushes with him. Maybe it was an animal?

Before Jaune could think it over any further. The Grimm stumbled through the brush, nearly running him over. Weiss clasped her hands over her mouth to keep herself quiet. Ruby's hand went for her scythe.

The sounds of heavy footsteps grew quieter as the monster chased after whatever caused the noise. Once it was far enough away, Jaune quietly stood up as did his other party members. They wasted no time dawdling and moved as fast as they could across the clearing and over a nearby hill.

As soon as they were in the clear, all three of the party members nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Having sprinted up a steep hill and almost three hundred metres to put distance between them and the Grimm. That and having to lug around heavy gear added to the stress.

"What was that," Ruby asked with a mix of relief and remaining concern. Her lungs heaving for any purchase of extra air.

"That," Jaune began, taking a large breath. "Was a ghoul, Ruby."

Ghouls are humanoid Grimm. Very fast, very dangerous even by themselves. Their eyesight is not stellar. But, they have excellent hearing. How it didn't notice Weiss was a miracle. Maybe it charged into the clearing after hearing her and couldn't figure out where the voice came from?

"He's right," Weiss concurred. "I'm surprised you were able to see it before I did."

 _I'm surprised I did too..._

"Probably because I could see over the bushes," Jaune teased, followed by a chuckle. Weiss glared at him - more like burning two holes through his soul.

"Why you..." Weiss tried to come up with some sort of retort but lost it. She took her loss throwing on a pout before turning around in the direction of where they were heading. "We should get moving. It looks like it's going to rain." The Mage started trudging forward, grumbling something else under her breath.

Jaune looked up to see a gathering storm front a few miles out. Large black and swirling blue masses of water vapour billowing on the horizon. The faint hint of petrichor on the wind as well as the distinct scent of ozone. Winds picked up even more as Jaune stood there watching this wall move towards him.

"This day just keeps getting better and better."

If anything, it could be worse.

...

"So, do you guys know why that ghoul was here," Ruby asked. "I mean, demons are not really around anymore since The Great War ended." She turned to face her companions, who were walking side by side.

Jaune scratched the back of his head looking down at Weiss then the map. "That's true," he confirmed. "But there have been cases where a few dozen or maybe a hundred Grimm show up out of nowhere."

"You mean the Invasions," Weiss wondered, looking up at the boy.

"Yeah, those," Jaune halfheartedly replied. "But I don't think it was an Invasion. There was a lone ghoul and no other demon species around. And ghouls are usually pack-hunters as well."

Running into a lone ghoul was probably the best thing that could have happened. Actually, they are a lot like goblins in a way. While they are not a nesting species and prefer to roam about the forest like deer. They are strongest when in a group and a lone one could be killed easily by an experienced adventurer. Usually, said adventurer has to be in the level forties or above to have a chance at killing Grimm since their spawn level is so high it's almost ridiculous.

"Invasions are kind of like what happened with The Great War, right," Ruby asked with her childlike curiosity still present. Surprisingly it still remained even after encountering a near-death situation.

"Yes. Scholars and mages do believe that The Calamity Wars were a prolonged Invasion," Weiss began, gesturing with her hands. "And Invasions are both artificial and natural phenomena where suddenly dozens or hundreds of creatures or demons appear. Either through somebody summoning them using a specific form of conjuration magic or through sudden tears in space that lead to different dimensions. I won't go into specifics, but if one knows the summoning ritual, they can trigger an Invasion at a specified location."

 _What if somebody caused The Great War on purpose? Who would even have that kind of power?_ Jaune shuddered at the thought. _Who knows what they must be up to now?_

"Even if there was no Invasion triggered, demons still live on Remnant," Weiss continued. Her poise and fluency on the matter sounded natural to her. "They primarily hide deep in the forests away from civilisation. Breeding naturally like any other monster species. For example, the Ghoul or Menschenfresser as we call them on Solitas. Have been recorded to have their numbers grow naturally between seasons like any other animals. Although their exact method of reproduction is unknown."

"Huuaaghh," Ruby groaned. "How do you guys remember all of this? It's like you have dictionaries inside your heads!" Her sudden outburst earned an amused chuckle from Jaune.

"It's fine, Ruby," Jaune placated her. "You won't learn everything the first time you hear it."

He hadn't thought she was trying to remember all of this. It showed she had promise. Maybe more than Jaune did. Ruby wasn't the one who decided to run away from home because she didn't get her way. But she was trying to branch out and grasp more concepts than simply swinging her scythe around.

"And you also need to study," Weiss added on, shooting Jaune an approving nod. "While we both are very knowledgeable about subjects. Arc is more practical in his studies - choosing to neglect theory in other disciplines. Such as magic and basic world mechanics. Of which I have no idea how he managed to survive until now. And I will admit that I am not perfect as well. Choosing theory over practice."

Ruby stayed quiet, formulating her response. "Could you show me some books that I could look at," she bashfully asked, fidgeting with her skirt. The Reaper almost sounded ashamed that she had to ask. Which there was nothing wrong with asking for help, of course.

"Sure," Jaune immediately agreed, playfully ruffling the shorter girl's hair. "How about when we get back to Beacon, we can go check out the library? Maybe bring Yang along as well?"

"If the boob doesn't distract you..." Weiss faintly mumbled under her breath. Jaune managed to hear it but made no point in responding.

...

The next several hours of their journey was filled with more small talk. Basic orienteering, arguing over which way was the correct direction to head in, and largely unimportant stuff Jaune was likely to forget in the next twenty minutes.

The best part about it was how Weiss seemed to open up a bit more. Usually, the frosty Heiress was the introvert and rarely spoke up. But now she was keeping up a full conversation with Ruby on her own. Only if they could get Blake to stop being anti-social...

Jaune did his best to include himself in any debates or lectures about monsters. But he was still working on coming to terms with giving up on his crush. And that wound on his heart still remained open. He just didn't want to give the impression that something was wrong. Having that literally happen the previous night would have caused most teens to feel like crap, but Jaune was used to it. Heartbreak builds character, after all.

Luckily neither of the girls seemed to take notice. Which was good, of course. That's why he remained at the back of the train where the girls would be more focused on each other. Getting his arse kicked in the fight that was soon to come when they reached the fort would help him get over this rut.

"Ummm, Jaune," Ruby spoke up, dragging the boy from his thoughts. "We may have a problem."

Jaune looked up to see a river in front of them. How that snuck up on him was beyond his concern now, but how to get across was the new task at hand. This is why he should have been paying attention and not moping over Weiss. It could have gotten them all killed had he not been paying attention when that ghoul showed up.

"Great," he sarcastically replied. "Is there a bridge nearby? If not, then we are going to have to swim across." Jaune crouched at the edge of the river.

The channel seemed to be moving slowly. No rapids or fast-moving water which was a plus. And the river was maybe twenty feet wide where they were. Which was manageable if they needed to swim. No drowners would spawn in these waters as well with how muddy they were. Clogs up their gills.

"The nearest bridge is pretty far north," Ruby said with an unsure tone. "Maybe two or three hours from here?"

 _Swimming it is then..._

Jaune dropped his bags and pulled his cloak off of him. Ruby followed along without a word as she set down Crescent Rose then began untieing her corset.

"What are you two animals doing," Weiss indignantly asked. A lovely blush appearing on her cheeks.

"We have to swim across," Ruby replied nonchalantly. "I don't want my clothes to get wet, so I'm putting them in my bag."

"NO," Weiss shouted. "We will find another way across! I am not going to swim through some disgusting stream! Nor will I undress in front of you!" She looked directly at Jaune as she finished her sentence. "I do not care if we have to walk another three hours or five!"

"Weiss, what's wrong," Jaune asked. A mild tinge of concern in the back of his throat. There was obviously something else going on here that she didn't want to tell them.

"Come on, Weiss..."

The blush on the Heiress' cheeks worsened. To the point, they were mimicking Ruby's cloak. Her head snapped downwards, and both eyes peered at the grass.

"Okay," she shouted again. "I-I can't swim!"

"That's it," Ruby apprehensively asked, sounding almost as if she were relieved. "You could have just said something." She kneeled down to fish something out of her bag.

"It's embarrassing!"

"It's really not that bad Weiss," Jaune added on. "My younger sisters had trouble swimming, but they got over it. I just helped them swim when they were learning how-to for the first time."

Ruby produced a length of rope that was almost fifty feet long. "I'll swim across with this first - then you can tie our bags to it," she proposed. "So now Jaune can help you swim across!"

"That's actually a really good idea," Jaune agreed. "Good job!" He shot Ruby a smile, and she returned it.

"Fine," Weiss grumbled. "But I will not be taking off my clothes!" She blushed even harder. Not meeting Jaune's eyes. Or anybody's for that matter.

"Alright," Jaune acquiesced. "Nobody is going to force you. But you will regret it later when you're freezing your but off!"

"Whatever..."

Jaune turned around to give Ruby some privacy. He knew how this part went since he lived in a household almost entirely consisting of women. Staring was not allowed. Not that he would mind you. Jaune was a red-blooded male, but he was still a gentleman. The fact they were his sisters also helped to dissuade any peeking. So looking away felt natural to him.

"Okay!" Ruby grabbed her rope and dove into the river. Jaune turned around to watch the girl glide through the water. She seemed better suited to life in the water with how she swam. It was almost graceful.

Surfacing on the other side, Ruby tied the rope to a tree. Jaune looped the line through his, Ruby and Weiss' bags. Finally, he wrapped all of their weapons in his cloak to protect them from the water.

Jaune pulled off his own clothes down to his trousers. Sparing Weiss from any further show of skin. Tucking his garments into his bag, he rechecked everything to make sure nothing would come loose and be lost to the river.

"Go ahead, Ruby," Jaune shouted to the girl. She nodded and pulled the mass through the water. The Knight watched it intently in case something happened to it, and he needed to dive in there. Once across, any concern he had dissipated.

Jaune turned around to find Weiss blushing intensely. He didn't know her that well, but she could hardly be in the same room as Jaune in any state of undress. It was probably due to some high expectancy for modesty in Atlas. Or Weiss wasn't used to seeing male peers like this. Shirtless that is. She was too much of a prude to have seen anymore.

"Are you ready?"

Weiss nodded lightly. "Just help me get across," she meekly asked. "And if you let me drown, I will haunt you."

Jaune chuckled lightly and made his way to the edge. Jumping into the shallow end of the channel - his feet found purchase on the silt coating the bed. He turned to help Weiss down almost catching her like a small child as she dropped into the river.

"Just grab on, and I'll do the work," Jaune suggested, stepping further into the river. The current was now pushing against his legs. Nearly carrying him off his feet. Entering the final drop off, he started treading water and pushing himself upstream to stay in the same place.

Weiss stepping into the deep end and found her height put her at a disadvantage. Almost sinking straight to the bottom if it weren't for her proximity to Jaune. She immediately wrapped her arms around his torso, and her head ended up on top of his abs.

Jaune started swimming across the river in the backstroke. Trying to do his best to ignore his former crush clinging to him for dear life. Had he known it would have been this difficult to get over her, he would have done it after the quest was over and when he didn't have to put up with this shit.

Gladly, it all came to an end as Jaune's back touched the other side of the river. Climbing out with Weiss still holding onto him, Ruby reached down and pulled with all of her might to get her teammates over the riverbank.

Landing flat on his face, Jaune rolled over to look up at the sky. "See, that wasn't so bad," he calmly jested.

Weiss looked down on him from above. "We do not speak of this, ever," she demanded harshly, pointing her index finger at him.

Before Jaune could respond, a sudden downpour came. A once blue sky literally opened up and began drenching the three students. The wind blew hard enough to make it rain sideways. Ruby's cloak threatened to fly away.

 _God shits in my dinner once again..._

...

It was now night or maybe dusk. Jaune didn't know anymore. The sky turned black a few hours ago ever since this monsoon rolled in. Loud cracks of thunder rang out with every bright flash of electricity. The temperature had fallen well below the comfort zone, and the wind wasn't helping.

They needed to find somewhere to sleep for the night lest they freeze to death come morning. Weiss had yet to voice her regret at not keeping her clothes dry, but she was shivering. Jaune and Ruby were not any better. Both having hastily thrown on their clothes, but still ended up wet.

The group kept pushing forward while continually looking out for some sort of shelter. Jaune managed to keep the map dry using his cloak as cover and Weiss provided light through her magic. So they were doing fine at the moment. No monsters had decided to attack under cover of darkness.

"Guys look," Ruby spoke up, pointing to something in the distance. A lightning bolt gave them enough light to see it.

A cave.

The three quickly made their way into the hole in the side of the rock face. Weiss sent several Candlelight spells down the passage to find that the cave only went a ten feet into the side of the hill. The ground was dry, and a firepit was dug in the middle of the chamber.

An old hunters camp?

"Finally," Weiss groaned, hitting the floor with a wet slap. She pulled off her outer robes and set them off to the side. Only wearing her trousers and shirt now.

Jaune dropped his own packs before turning to the mouth of the cave. He needed to find enough wood to keep a fire going for a few hours. "I'll be back in a minute."

Stepping back out into the cold was unpleasant. The cave had been the warmest thing out here since this afternoon. Luckily he didn't need to be out here for long anymore. Scattered tree branches and twigs were in plentiful supply out here. He quickly gathered everything up and ran back into the cave.

Coming back to their camp. Jaune found that Ruby and Weiss had changed into dryer clothes in his absence. Which was appreciated since he would not have to wait for them.

He dropped the wood in the centre of the room. Only now registering his exhaustion. A full days worth of hiking and much of it in less than stellar conditions was actually quite draining. Not as bad as getting nearly beaten to death by a hobgoblin, but still unpleasant.

Finally starting a fire. He nursed the flames to full maturity and started tossing wood into the pit. He let it get to around medium heat to dry everyone's stuff off, but not hot enough to become overwhelming.

Jaune fell back onto his bedroll that one of the girls had rolled out when he was outside. He looked at the pack where all of the food was stored and didn't even want to bother eating something.

 _I just want to sleep..._

Laying on his back, Jaune stretched out all of the knots that had formed throughout the day. The gentle warmth of the fire soothed him just enough that he quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Ok, the chapter's over!**

 **I introduced several new ideas into the story, and clarified on some others. And someone a while back asked if I was going to add demons into this story. Which I did just now.**

 **Jaune had also been crushing on Weiss the entire time. I mentioned several times in previous chapters as his motivation for working with Weiss. So, don't come asking me about it!**

 **If nothing else. I'm out this bitch!**

* * *

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Strength 33 (+5)**

 **Agility 17 (+3)**

 **Defence 23 (+3)**

 **Perception 27 (+3)**

 **Constitution 33 (+3)**

 **Intelligence 40 (+5)**

 **Charisma 21 (+3)**

 **Willpower 14 (+2)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	17. Chapter 17

**I just spilled water all over my desk!**

 **A big ass spider crawled out from fucking nowhere and in the panic. I knocked over my water bottle! So yeah, great.**

 **But onto more important stuff!**

 **Jaune has given up on his feelings for Weiss! And the feeling of heartbreak has taken over. A concept I'm not used to, because you cannot get your heart broken if you don't ever have a relationship. *Cries inside.***

 **So, this chapter wraps everything up for Act One. The Noonwraith hunt, Jaune getting his Passive and Class. All setting up the next act for when I move forward, in two weeks.**

 **I'll have a new story out by the end of this week. And I'll have To Those Who Survived The Fall and The Lengths We Must Go To updated next week.**

 **From now on I'll update everything in rotation, so every two weeks we'll be getting a new chapter for all of my big fics. And Beacon's Number One... I'll get to you eventually.**

 **If nothing else! It's been a while since I've written anything that was not answers to a test or notes. So I may be a bit rusty. Please be gentle until I can scrape it all off. Meaning, don't be a dick.**

* * *

 **...**

 **New Ability**

 **Plot Armour**

 **The MC and his companions are invincible in all instances where certain death is likely. All other less important characters will bite the dust but our main characters will come out largely unscathed.**

 **...**

Jaune's eyes cracked open as the faint sunlight graced the entrance of the cave. The heat from the still-burning fire radiated from where his feet were. Darkness nevertheless cloaked the land as the sun had yet to climb over the horizon.

He reached out to the ceiling of the cave. The aches and pains of yesterday's march through rough Valish terrain left his body stiff. Not to mention the cold that seeped into his bones from last night's monsoon. Coupled, it left Jaune in an awkward predicament. Go back to bed, or tough it out and let his Constitution do the work?

 _I have to get Weiss and Ruby up anyways?_

Jaune made his choice and attempted to sit up. His left arm was feeling slightly numb like he had slept on it or maybe it had frozen off, and he was left with a stump of necrotising flesh?

He attempted to pull at the limb to stretch it out and get the blood flowing again. Pins and needles were a bitch, and one had to usually shake the affected area or wait for it to go away. However, something else was attached to the arm.

Jaune looked over.

 _GODDAMMIT..._

A certain Heiress was using his arm as a pillow, wrapped it around it quite tightly like a snake around a mouse. Her head was pressed against his lower arm. Right below the elbow where there was a nice and hard mass of muscle acting as her headrest.

Weiss was drooling like a child, luckily it was not coating his shirt or elbow but pooling on the floor. She appeared to be very comfortable, laying there as well. In any other situation, Jaune would have loved to have had a girl using his arm as a pillow. Cuddling in a bed? Or perhaps laying out on the forest floor and having a deep conversation as they gazed at the stars like some sort of naive romantics?

But this was the girl who he used to have a crush on. The first girl he earnestly sought to be with. The one he had given up on the previous night. The same one that left him with a hollow feeling for nearly an entire day.

And Jaune was still trying his damnedest to push those feelings down. He needed them gone and needed to have a clear head. Not a pit in his stomach or what felt like a rope being twisted whenever he saw her anymore.

Weiss grabbing his arm, however, may have well and truly been accidental. She's too introverted to be this forward. Unless Jaune was missing something.

Jaune tugged at this arm again. He got some leeway, but Weiss came with it. She tightened up her grip as well. Surprising how she had an iron grip and was this small. Both size and muscle wise.

"Weiss, get up," Jaune spoke up, quietly, as to not wake Ruby if she were still sleeping. He looked over to confirm that she was still on her side of the fire. However, she had up and vanished.

Jaune would need to go looking for her after this.

" _Weiss_ , you can let go of my arm now," he spoke up, with more force. Speaking with his chest and not his throat this time. Not as afraid of waking up any innocent bystanders.

That seemed to get her to stir from her sleep. She blinked once and then mumbled something. Two opal eyes looked around to get a feel for what was going on. Until she realised who she was attached to.

With a yelp, Weiss released Jaune's arm and clambered to her feet. Staring at Jaune like she was about to rip his head off and shit down his neck. Heavy breaths, angry breaths left her puffing nostrils. Her chest heaved up and down as she glared daggers at the boy.

"Y-You pervert," she hissed, angrily, pointing with her index finger. "What were you doing?! Answer me!"

 _Of course, I should have expected her to be pissed about this! Who wouldn't be, really?_ Jaune suddenly realised his arm may have been down where her chest was.

Waking up and finding you are sleeping in a precarious and rather compromising position with a boy who you had not known for very long, and reacting like this was understandable. Especially the anger. That was what Jaune was afraid of right now. Very afraid.

Jaune stood up. "I'm the _pervert_ ," he asked in earnest. His voice lacking any characteristic emotions. "You were the one sleeping on _me_." He explained it in a way that would blow the accusation back onto her.

Having siblings who liked to argue trained him for this.

"I-I was not," she immediately denied it, her anger faltering momentarily. "You had to have put your arm there! Y-You were trying to touch me!" Weiss' cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Yeah, I was trying to touch you," he sarcastically replied. "I was still in the same spot where I fell asleep! You were the one who came over and tried to cuddle. I was trying to get my arm back from _you_!"

Weiss opened her mouth and tried to offer a riposte. But nothing came out except a huff of air from an attempt to string a sentence together. Her cheeks surprisingly found a way to burn even brighter than they were before. A sputter finally came as she turned away from him.

 _I think I broke her..._

"Dummy," she whispered, quietly enough for Jaune to not hear her clearly.

"What was that," Jaune asked for clarification.

She whipped around, more composed and missing the blush on her cheeks. Weiss took several steps to close the distance between them.

"We. Do. Not. Speak of this. Ever!" She snarled, poking him in the chest. With that, she turned around and started looking through her bags.

 _Well, that's over..._

Jaune was relieved it didn't end up going any farther. Luckily for him, Charisma and dumb luck won the day. Or the morning perhaps since they still had wraiths to do battle with.

Ruby came back finally. Stretching her arms over her head as she entered the cave. The pose she was holding and the fact she was wearing a tank-top instead of her corset and normal shirt revealed her figure.

Her muscles flexed as she leaned to the side, exposing striations on the smooth pale skin. The shirt did little to contain her ample bust size as her arms pulled the mounds of flesh upwards. Her stretching pulled her shirt up as well unveiling the six-pack she was packing.

Jaune realised he was checking his friend out and turned away. This was something else he didn't want to add onto the current torment he was going through. All he needed to do was keep it together until they got back to Beacon. Then he could wallow in his angst-filled hormonally induced depression.

"Did something happen," Ruby asked, nonchalantly, letting out another grunt and then a pop from one of her joints.

"No," Weiss and Jaune answered at the same time. Sharing a glance with each other before getting to work.

 _Great job, Jaune. Just... A great job!_

Jaune looked around for his gear. He had stripped out of some of it before falling asleep. Preferable, because sleeping on two swords just does wonders for the lumbar region. However, he was still wearing the clothes he had on last night. They were dryish so they would be fine. Nothing like the blistering Valish summer heat and the humidity that never allows you to dry out to squeeze every last drop of moisture out of those clothes.

Suddenly a scream, more like a screech, drew Jaune out from his thoughts. He whipped around to find Weiss running away from something and then preceding to use Jaune as her meat shield.

"What's going on," he asked in a panic, unsheathing Crocea Mors in a flash of silver. He could feel both of Weiss' hands on his back as she hid behind him. Ruby had grabbed Crescent Rose, cocking the scythe back ready to lunge.

"What is that," she replied, pointing to the satchel sitting among the pile of bags. A light glow came from the open flap. Actually, a whole assortment of different glowing colours radiated from within.

Jaune took a step forward to grab the satchel. Readjusting the flap to get a better look at what was inside. It was his supply of Dust crystals that he kept with him out in the field.

 _What is she going on about?_

"It's just Dust Weiss," he answered her, holding up the bag. "I keep some on me in case I need it for something."

However, what it could be used for other than enchanting was a mystery. Jaune had done some research, but everything about Dust was related to just that, enchanting.

"It's just Dust," she repeated the previous statement, albeit with a little more bewilderment. "Do you realise how dangerous Dust is?!"

"Not really," Jaune gave an honest answer, quickly glancing at Ruby. The Reaper offered a confused look as she shrugged her shoulders.

"You're such an idiot," she hissed, grabbing the bag from his hands. "The amount of Dust you have in here is enough to turn everything around us for the next hundred yards into a glassed crater!"

Jaune's jaw hung open as those words left her mouth. He really didn't know how explosive those crystals really were. And if he had known that previously, there would have been no way in hell to get him to carry so many Dust crystals all at once.

"Dust is merely magicka condensed and then solidified into a crystal lattice," Weiss continued to explain. "As with specific molecules or elements. Introducing some form of stress to the lattice or another molecule can cause a reaction and sudden release of energy! In summary, a massive explosion, even with a small amount of the stuff!" She waved her free hand around as she lectured the other adventurers. "Which is why Dust is rarely carted around without special precautions to ensure there are no accidents. Meaning, we don't carry it around in the bottom of a satchel!"

"In my defence..." Jaune began, holding up a hand. "...I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," Weiss snarled back, setting the Dust far away from the three. "Now get out so I can change!"

...

Jaune leaned against the wall as he waited for Ruby and Weiss to hurry up. They were in there for about ten minutes so far. Something he had expected since his sisters never seemed to be in a hurry to get ready. Regardless of what was going on or what they were tasked with.

As he grew more impatient, Weiss followed by Ruby exited the cave in their usual garb. Both girls were still obviously feeling the effects of yesterday's trek as did Jaune. Eyes had bags under them. Ruby pulled at the straps of her backpack. Weiss walked as though her feet had blisters on them.

 _Finally_...

"So can I have my bag back," Jaune asked, reaching out for the satchel. The bag in question was thrown over Weiss' shoulder. One hand firmly placed on the pouch itself.

"No," she denied his request, retrieving the map from her new satchel. "I would rather have someone who knows how to handle Dust carry it around. Think of it as taking some of the weight off you as well as keeping all three of us alive." She started walking off in the direction of the fort.

"Alright," Jaune acquiesced, following the Heiress with Ruby in front of him. "But can I ask why the Dust is safer with you. I haven't had any problems with it."

The fact that Jaune was usually performing daring feats quite regularly was evidence to that. Or he was just not doing anything dangerous enough to have the ten or so Dust crystals explode on him. Which would have been disastrous regardless of where they decided to suddenly turn him into a blonde stain on the wall.

"We wrapped them in a blanket so they wouldn't get banged around," Ruby spoke up, turning around to face him. "Merchants do the same thing with eggs, but they use straw."

"It will do for now," Weiss added on. "But we will need to bring them out once we reach the fort. Dust crystals have a use beyond enchanting."

"Like what," Ruby asked, curiously.

"On Solitas, some of our artisans use Dust for various commercial purposes," Weiss explained, continuing to scan the map and leading the group. "Preserving food using Ice Dust, baking, starting fires, even mixing it with paint to obtain various effects. However, the Atlas mages developed a remarkable use for Dust in our mining industry."

"Bombs," Jaune blurted out.

"More like controlled explosives," Weiss corrected, mumbling something else as she examined the map. "The Atlas mining industry is what funds our economy, and supplements our agricultural trade with Vale. As you may know, Solitas is largely barren tundra for most of the year except for our bio-domes."

"What's a bio-dome," Ruby asked another question.

"Bio-domes, are," Weiss continued before pausing to find her words. "Like wards, but on a massive scale. Large enough to surround a city or a suitable plot of land for miles. And are a great feat of magical engineering as they control the climate and allow us to grow grains and raise certain livestock in areas where it was previously not possible. However, bio-domes are incredibly expensive to construct, which is why we rely on our mining industry for trade with Vale." She took a pause. "That's where Dust comes in. We use it for blasting to expose metal veins. Which is why Vale has access to some of the rarest and finest ores on the planet."

Jaune snorted.

"Is something funny," Weiss asked, shooting a glance back at Jaune. Her cheeks held a slight blush as she continued to stare at him.

"It kind of sounds like a sales pitch for Atlas," Jaune explained, his voice lacking any characteristic tone. "I'm guessing you had to memorise all that stuff along with court etiquette."

"Unfortunately yes," Weiss answered him. "Having to sit in on trade negotiations is a part of my duties as First Princess along with maintaining an air of authority everywhere I went in public."

"That has to suck," Ruby exhaled. "Acting all stuck up everyday! I'll just stick with my Crescent Rose; thank you very much!" She whipped that thing out and cuddled it like a small puppy.

 _I can't imagine it either... I mean having to wear a doublet all day long. Those things chafe. Or so I'm told._

"It is not as bad as you think it may be," Weiss countered. "The "Game," as we nobles call it is an art form all in itself. The Mantlese and Atlesians have mastered the Game. Thus we have become master diplomats and negotiators on the international scale. Only held back by our nation's isolated position and resource shortages."

"But what are we supposed to use Dust for at the fort," Ruby asked jumping to another tangent.

"Oh," Weiss uttered. "Yes, I had completely forgotten about that! I apologise for rambling." She paused and turned to her party members. "We can use Fire Dust shavings to ignite the pyre."

"I thought you said it would explode if you handled it too roughly," Jaune pointed out a hole in Weiss' argument.

"When you're jostling a box of them around like a buffoon, yes they will explode," Weiss replied. "We merely need to use a knife, that you have, and lightly scrape the crystal to obtain some shavings. Then you may simply snap your fingers, and any powdered Dust will react as a friction-sensitive explosive with little risk to your body."

Jaune let out a long exhale. "Fine, but if I lose a finger, you will never hear the end of it..."

...

It reached the latter part of the morning, before noon. The sun was high in the sky and baring down on the party. Ruby and Weiss both shed their outer layers settling on their shirt or lighter mage attire. Jaune kept his clothes on as he needed them for protection and he was used to this weather.

"So this is the place," Ruby commented on the structure before them. The Reaper leaned on her scythe as the group stared at the fortress.

It was an older stone motte and bailey style castle. The entirety of the fort was surrounded by a stone palisade that was in extreme disrepair. Any structures within the fort were dilapidated beyond saving. It was the perfect place for monsters, bandits, or spirits to hide out in.

Jaune swallowed the mouthful a mouthful of bread. "Yeah, we just need to find the graveyard and any of the workers. The wood from these houses will make a good pyre too."

"You will be handling the bodies," Weiss hesitantly asked. Jaune was the only one wearing gloves, so it only made sense.

"Sure, if you two want to set up the pyre," Jaune replied, digging in his bag. "We should rub our blades in salt before going in too. No wraiths should appear before noon, but once we move the bodies and light the pyre, all hell will break loose."

"You've fought wraiths before," Weiss wondered, grabbing a handful of salt and coating her blade.

"Once," he answered. "A farmer was working in his field and got attacked by a noonwraith. I just happened to be there and saved him from it."

Jaune's first noonwraith was a low-level one too. Maybe three or four. But it was merely a wandering spirit that was not tied to any specific location. So banishing it was quite simple, unlike the situation the party was presented with now.

"Anything not in bestiaries that we need to know about," Weiss asked.

"Nope..."

"Good, let's get started," Ruby chirped as she started heading towards the fort. Jaune and Weiss followed. All gripped their weapons tightly in the event of a random attack.

Coming up to the gate of the fortress, a putrid smell emanated from within. The distinct smell of decay. Rotting eggs or the scent one would find on old carrion.

Jaune shrugged it off having already been used to some of the worst smells imaginable. Weiss and Ruby, however, not so much. Both girls tied rags around their mouths to shield them from the smell. Jaune followed suit for an entirely different reason.

While the myth that corpses spread disease like the plague is false. Getting any blood or bodily fluids in your mouth is rather unpleasant and should be avoided. Although the risk of contracting bloodborne infections can still remain along with several other diseases if the person was previously infected with said pathogens. So precautions to prevent any contamination would be essential.

Which made sense as to why Weiss had asked for Jaune to handle the bodies. Just another day of doing the dirty work.

"That smell," Ruby groaned, her eyes tearing up at how awful it was.

"I know," Weiss concurred, holding up an arm to stifle the stench.

Pushing the gate open revealed the remnants of a small village hidden inside the walls. In the centre, the body of a young man lay in the open. A crow nibbled at the flesh, flying off as it caught sight of more humans.

"Well we found one of them," Jaune mentioned, examining the body. Weiss kneeled down next to him, scanning the putrefying corpse. "Currently in the putrefaction stage of decay. Two weeks maybe?" Jaune examined his wounds. "Burns. And claw marks?" He grabbed the dead man's arm to get a closer look.

The deep grooves in the man's arm looked as though someone dragged a dagger across his flesh. Three cuts in what seemed like an attempt to defend himself by using his arm to block an attack. However, what killed him was a knick to an artery on his upper forearm. The burns incapacitated the man, and he bled out on the floor.

Weiss jotted something down in a notebook.

"What are you writing, Weiss," Ruby asked, looking over the Heiress' shoulder.

"I'm making a note of this man's features," she replied, finishing her note. "Once we build the pyre, it will be easier for Sir Samson to remove the bodies if I make detailed notes of who went where."

"Oh, that's nice," Ruby said, stepping away from the body.

Jaune stood up and faced Ruby. "You don't seem to be bothered by this," he mentioned to the Reaper.

 _Or she's just good at hiding it..._

"I am, kind of," she replied, scratching the back of her head. "I wish I was here to help him. But now I want to find that wraith and make sure it can't hurt anybody else!"

"I see," Jaune mumbled to himself.

Ruby was the one he expected to be in this for just being a hero. So far, she was meeting his expectations. But what about the others?

"We should keep looking," he urged, setting the bags next to the central well. "There are four more bodies we have to look for. And we have a few hours before noonwraiths can appear."

Wraiths frequently don't appear until dusk. As to why that is; happens to be up for debate. Some speculate that the spirit realm and the present reality blend together where the spirit can then appear. But one can still summon a spirit at any time.

"This place is creepy," Ruby commented, taking a look at their surroundings. Watching for anything to potentially jump out at them.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed immediately.

This place was actually quite disturbing. Luckily it wasn't night, or the village would be downright terrifying to walk around in. The dark corners, lack of any people, and the knowledge that there could be a ghost running around here served to amplify the feeling.

Jaune scanned the muddy ground for any footprints, new or old. Any definite signs may have been washed away by rain. But there was a slide mark in the mud. Not from the first man they found, but from another.

"They were running away from something," Ruby spoke up from Jaune's side, pointing to another mark. "You can see how the mud was kicked up by one of them."

"Yeah..."

The three heroes continued to follow a patchwork of two-week-old tracks. It must have rained before the first group had come through here or there wouldn't have been any signs of them. However, two sets of prints led to a building.

It seemed to be an old trader's home. At least that's what the sign said. The lettering was mostly illegible. A door out front seemed to have been blown inward by some force.

Inside, the bodies of two men on the far side of the room. Both were in the same state of decay as the first. However, not as bad due to them being inside. The elements were not able to get to them, but there were signs of animal feeding.

Jaune kneeled down to examine the first man. He was laying on his stomach with a deep wound on his upper back. A blow to his back from Wraith claws? Or something from the door when it was blown open.

There were splinters of wood everywhere. So that may have been the cause of death. Same went for the other man. A large piece of timber was staked through his heart.

Whatever did this had some sort of magic. Powerful enough to blow an oak wood door apart. But had claws of some kind as well. Noonwraiths were capable of both.

It's not a powerful one. Maybe level twenty to twenty-five? The other wraiths are going to be around level eleven.

"They tried to hide," Ruby said, pointing at an overturned chair and table. "But whatever chased them got through their barricade."

 _She's right..._

"I think it was pretty stupid of them to hide," Weiss irritatedly replied. "If they had kept running to the front gate, neither of them would have been killed."

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, twirling a piece of the door between his fingers. "But they were scared. You can't think clearly when you're afraid for your life. So, putting something solid between what was chasing them must have been the only thing that came to mind."

"You have a point..."

Jaune grabbed the body that was closer to the door. His trousers, although soiled and covered in mud, were mostly clean and free from blood. His legs had yet to take on any rot either. But the feeling of dragging a corpse to a pyre did not sit right with him.

...

After setting the bodies of the workers on the funeral pyre, Jaune and company set off to look for the corpse the noonwraith was tied to. Their newest destination was the graveyard behind the nearby church. If not there, then the old keep was next.

The church was in the same dilapidated shape as the rest of the town. Any roofing caved in some time ago, and with it, the bell tower. The surrounding trees mirrored the already creepy landscape as they had no leaves despite it being the beginning of summer.

All there needed to be was a low hanging mist and more crows to finish the atmosphere. Which was fitting for a chapel belonging to the Church of the One.

"The corners of the graveyard should be the first place to look," Weiss began. "Normally outlaws and low-status people are buried there."

"Should we worry about any undead," Ruby asked. "We had problems with an old cemetery on Patch. Yang and I used to go there to farm for levels when zombies would crawl out of their graves."

"I'm not sure," Weiss replied, cupping her chin. "This village has only been abandoned for a short time. Only a few years, but the practice of burning the dead or dismembering them would have been around before that. The priest who cared for this parish would have blessed the grounds before burying anybody here too."

"If they blessed the grounds," Jaune countered, with slight disbelief.

He wouldn't put it past a priest from the Church to forgo a precaution to prevent the dead from coming back to life. They would be more concerned with spreading their cult's message through the town, performing inquisitions, unnecessary exorcisms, or burning magic users at the stake. Or anybody for that matter, be it someone who someone accused of being a witch, an alchemist, or a homosexual.

 _Good riddance_...

Jaune really wanted to toss a Fire Dust crystal through the window. Anything to remove The Church's stench from his country.

The group spread out and began combing the graveyard. It was not a large plot, but enough to need a division of labour to cover more ground. Every grave needed to be looked over for a sign of disturbance. The newer, the better.

Jaune came to the edge of the grave plot. A few large graves belonged there, including a mausoleum belonging to what seemed to be an old family. However, everything looked to be grown over.

 _No recently dug up graves here..._

"Jaune, Weiss..." Someone called out to the two. The blonde turned to see Ruby waving at the knight.

 _She found something... It was quick, at least._

Jaune trotted over to where Ruby was. She was standing near the palisade in the shade of a dead oak tree. In front of her, however, was an open grave. A shallow one at that. Inside, the desiccated corpse of a young woman.

...

Weiss handed Jaune a large Fire Dust crystal. The shimmering red glow from the magic contained within proved intimidating knowing that this crystal could cause the sudden loss of his hand. But, they needed to start a fire.

"Ok, I'm going to light the pyre," Jaune warned, looking at both Weiss and Ruby. "The wraiths are going to appear as soon as the bodies begin to burn."

The body they had found belonged to what seemed to be a victim of torture. Ligature marks on her wrists from shackles. Deep cuts on her back and arms from a whip or a carving knife. Luckily, Jaune shielded Weiss and Ruby from seeing those.

A simple order to head back to the pyre was enough to get them away from this. Nobody other than Jaune needed to know. And now he was here to send the spirits off, finally.

His knife scraped a corner on the Dust crystal. The sharp edge of his kukri was enough to shave off a gram or two of the magical powder.

 _That seems like it should be enough..._

Jaune kneeled down in front of the pyre, setting the small pile of Dust on some tinder. With the back end of his knife, he applied enough force to set the Fire Dust off. A massive plume of flame erupted sending him reeling lest he burned his eyebrows off.

"Get ready," Ruby ordered her comrades, handing Jaune's sword back to him.

As the flames grew and began to overtake the bodies. A shimmering miasma appeared on the other side of the fire, nearest to the keep. Before long, several wraiths stepped out of the mist.

Each had its own distinct features. A blonde male with a rotting complexion, wielding a straight sword. Two with holes in their bodies, carrying daggers. One with long sharp nails. Another carrying an axe. And finally, the ghostly figure of a rotting woman, tongue dangling out from half of a jaw, a white dress hanging off her body in shambles.

In a blur, one of the wraiths charged the group. Swiping at Jaune's chest. Three claws found their mark on his breastplate, skittering across the steel. None making so much as a scratch on the hard steel.

Jaune stepped back, gripping his sword loosely in both hands. Spinning on his heel in a quick pirouette. His sword cleaving through the upper half of the Wraith, eliciting a pained yell from the ghost. The silver burning the ghostly body with a bubbling hiss.

Ruby came in from the side and severed the head from the Wraith. The form merely collapsing into a puddle of ectoplasm and a crystalline substance.

 _That's one..._

"Weiss, cast a spell, wall them in," Jaune ordered turning to the incoming spirits. They needed to control the battlefield before thing got out of hand. Being outnumbered two to one put them at a disadvantage. And Jaune didn't want to worry about getting surrounded.

The Mage nodded, muttering something before burying the tip of her sword into the ground. Suddenly two massive ice walls erupted from the soil, boxing the wraiths in. The thick blue walls of ice left only two sides open, the stairs leading to the keep and the three heroes on the other side.

Two more approached. The sword wielder and axeman. Both hurling themselves towards Weiss and Ruby.

The Mage cast a flurry of ice shards. Each of the razor-sharp edges finding their home in the ghosts. The blue ice burning the wraiths and rendering them immobile.

Ruby flew in as a red whirlwind cutting both of them down. Her scythe cutting through cleanly as it passed through one and then the other.

 _Two. Three..._

At the same time, Jaune focused his attention on the noonwraith. The swirling mass of rotting flesh and white cloth prepared to launch a spell at him. Jaune ran forward to close the distance between them. Ira Rubrum in hand.

A ball of white light condensed in the Noonwraith's right palm. With a flick of the wrist, it accelerated at the knight. He barely managed to dodge it as the searing heat from the magic passed by. A massive explosion followed as it blew the wall apart behind him.

 ** _Longinuslanze Testament..._**

Jaune cast his second ability. The first time he was ever going to use it. As it materialised in his hand, he felt like he knew how it was supposed to be used. It wasn't as if someone told him how to use it. It was like he always knew how to wield this weapon.

Only a few feet away from the quickly backpedalling noonwraith. The Longinuslanze Testament finally came into view.

It was composed of a long shaft with its golden metal twisted into an intricate spiral. Just below the blade, a crossguard emanated from within, having been forged as a single piece. The holy blade itself was almost two feet long. More of a sword than a spearhead. Its golden sheen marred with blood-red runes from an unknown language. Nearly half of the blade was wrapped with similarly reddened silk, which bore these same markings.

Jaune cocked back his right arm and launched it towards the Noonwraith. The spear sailing in a way for someone to mistake it for a feat performed by a master. Finding its mark in the centre of the ghost's chest. Pinning it to the wall behind her.

The magic inside the weapon preceded to burn the Noonwraith as it let out an inhuman howl. A shriek so bloodcurdling Jaune had to cover his ears with his hands. Prompting another attack from his opponents.

Another wraith carrying daggers launched itself at Jaune. One swipe was dodged as he backpedalled. The next sliced right through the centre of his breastplate like butter.

 _Shit_... Jaune cursed to himself. He was lucky it didn't go any deeper and into the flesh. Actually not even grazing his skin.

 _This is what the description meant when it said armour was rendered useless._

Jaune stumbled back, but not before he jammed his sword through the Wraith's lower jaw. The tip of his sword jutting through the upper skull of the ghost. Its body dissolving around the silver, boiling the ectoplasm running down his blade.

 _Four_...

He turned to see Weiss and Ruby finishing off the last of the wraiths. Weiss stabbed it several times through the heart with her rapier. Ruby doing the same from the other side with a single thrust.

 _Five_...

"You guys ok," he asked. Both nodded before suddenly turning to the keep. Jaune looked to see what was happening.

The Noonwraith pulled itself off of the lance. Floating through the handle and coming out at the blunt end. A wound on her chest closed as it turned into a light mist.

They watched as this mist scaled the stairs leading to the castle. A door at the top opened and slammed shut.

"Let's go after it," Ruby excitedly asserted, running up the stairs. Jaune and Weiss followed.

...

Jaune stopped to catch his breath when he reached the summit. Scaling nearly one hundred steps in armour was hard enough. Running made it even more exhausting.

He turned to see Weiss, who was faring no better. The Mage's red face and sweaty brow were evidence to suggest her own stamina were suffering. A girl with little conditioning, unlike Ruby, would have a hard time keeping up if this fight went on any longer.

"It's going to be a tight fit inside," Jaune warned his companions, reaching for the door. "We need to be careful and find the Noonwraith quickly before it can disappear." He reached into one of the pouches on his side. "Ruby, use these silver flakes on her. It will keep it from turning invisible again."

"Got it..."

Jaune pushed the door open. The steel-trimmed hatch creaked as it gave way to the hunters. Inside, the dark hall before them was filled with overturned furniture. The smell of rotting wood and what smelled like ozone permeated the air.

Propping the door open, Jaune took the first few steps inside. Weiss standing just behind him with a spell in hand. Ruby stood in the far back, waiting for the time to strike.

Weiss cast a candlelight spell to illuminate the darkness. The small wisp fluttered about as it followed its master. Its rays of light allowed Jaune to see a large dining table in front of them, along with what seemed to be a throne on the far side of the room.

"Ow," Ruby cried out as she tripped over something. The wooden chair she ran into fell over, emitting a loud knock as the backrest hit the ground. "Sorry."

"You dunce," Weiss sharply whispered. "You just gave up any element of surprise we had!"

As Weiss berated the Reaper, a sudden gust of wind blew in from the other end of the room. The door slamming shut behind the group, trapping them inside the keep. Everyone turned to face the hatch in a panic.

 _Fuck... This is bad._

Jaune took several steps back with Weiss right on his tail. The girl grabbing his shirt in an attempt to hide behind him.

"What do we do," Ruby nervously asked, taking Crescent Rose in hand.

Before anyone could answer, a bright light appeared behind them, opposite of the door. Soon after, an inhuman wail followed by a growl. Jaune turned to see the Noonwraith rising out of the floor. The ghostly figure bobbing side to side as it glared at the heroes.

The Wraith shrieked loudly, causing the Hunters to jump. As they reeled from the scream, another flare erupted from just below the ghost's feet. The green flash hung low on the ground, coating everything in a thick miasma.

As the miasma spread, phantom limbs jutted from beneath the ground, grabbing at everything they could. One reached for Weiss' leg, but Jaune sliced it off before it could make the grab. Another grasped at Ruby's legs and was summarily cut off.

 ** _Longinuslanze Testament..._**

Jaune cast his lance once again. It materialised for a moment but fizzled out. A cloud of electricity floated in the space. Disappearing into the nothingness before him.

 _Shit... FUCK! I can't cast it anymore!_

"Ruby," he shouted to the Reaper. "The silver!"

They were out of options and needed to fall back to tried and true methods. Silver.

"On it," she shouted back, bolting towards the Noonwraith. Dodging any of the phantom limbs grasping at her legs. A thick trail of rose petals followed in her stead.

She ran up the side of a wall. Bouncing off of it and sailing across the room over the Noonwraith. A shower of silver flakes coming down coating the ghost in a thin layer of metal. Each shaving hissing as it touched the ectoplasm, burning holes in the Wraith like hot sparks on cloth.

The Wraith let out a squeal of pain. Thrashing as the silver burned her body. Jaune followed this attack up with Arclight to amplify the effects of the silver, burning away the phantom limbs at the same time.

Weiss cast a series of ice spears. Each frozen spike piercing and tearing off pieces of undead flesh with every barrage. Bolting forward, she cocked back her rapier to make a lunge towards the Noonwraith.

Jaune rushed at the same time holding his blade in the Ox Guard. Both hunters spearing and pinning the Noonwraith. Silver and salt scorching the already damaged body. Inching it ever closer to a final death.

Ruby flew past in a blur. Swinging her scythe in a wide arc, she struck at the Noonwraith. A silver flash severing the head of the cursed undead.

The Wraith's body finally decomposing and turning into ash. It fell to the floor in a puddle of ectoplasm like the rest. Along with a small crystal hitting the floor and rolling towards Jaune.

As the battle ended, another rush of Exp slammed into Jaune. Propelling him to level eighteen and a quarter. Satisfying his cravings for more power, only for the moment.

Weiss slumped down onto a wall. "Finally, it's over," she grumbled. Exhaustion beginning to take over.

 _It is..._

Jaune looked around the room. As he turned his head to where Ruby went, he saw the girl limping towards him. Holding herself up with her scythe as a makeshift crutch.

"Shit," he cursed, running over to Ruby. "What happened?!"

"I twisted my ankle," she winced, obviously in pain. "Bad landing. Tripped over something."

"Here," he said, offering Ruby his shoulder. "Let's get you outside."

...

Jaune set Ruby down on the stairs outside the keep. The girl pulled her boot off to expose the affected limb. An ankle beginning to swell was the most visible sign of damage, but who knew what was going on beneath the skin?

"This should be a quick fix," Jaune said, casting his healing spell. Both hands channelling the magic into the foot.

"That tickles," Ruby giggled, squirming as the magic did its work. Her reaction to his healing magic, having quite a different effect on this girl as it did with Weiss.

"I noticed..."

 _Thank god she didn't react like Weiss!_

Once finished, Jaune wrapped the ankle in a bandage. Something to at least keep it splinted until they could get it looked at. His magic could only do much, and Jaune was no doctor by any means.

"You're really good at that," she complimented his skill. "My ankle doesn't hurt anymore." Jaune lifted the girl onto her feet.

Weiss came out of the keep a moment later. She carried a set of vials on her person. A white liquid filled the small glasses to the brim.

As the Mage approached the two heroes, her face grew more concerned. "Jaune," she began, looking down at the boy. "Your chest..."

He looked down at the sliced open breastplate. Remembering now that deep score remained there. "I'm fine!"

"Are you sure," she asked, with more emphasis.

"Yes," he answered, seriously this time. "Besides, I have you to stitch me up!" His response elicited a slight blush from the girl. Jaune attributed what he said to be equivalent to a compliment.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Dunce..."

Ruby slipped her boot back on. "Why not use your healing spell," she asked. "I mean if you were injured. It would make sense."

"Can't," Jaune answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Every time I try to cast Healing on myself, it shocks me."

 _It hurts like hell too._

"Jeez, your Passive sucks," she innocently stated.

As those words left Ruby's mouth, Weiss perked up. The look on her face was one of realisation. She almost seemed giddy. If words could be used to accurately describe it.

"Ruby," Weiss muttered. "What did you say?!"

"Jaune's Passive sucks," she repeated herself. "His Passive won't let him cast spells on himself."

"THAT'S IT," she shouted excitedly. Turning to the Reaper and grabbing her shoulders. "Ruby, that might have been the smartest thing you ever said!" Weiss turned away. "How did I miss it? It was right underneath our noses the whole time!"

Jaune and Ruby watched as Weiss ranted. The girl pacing back and forth with no regard for appearances. It was funny in its own sort of way. And slightly disturbing to see the usually stuck up and composed Heiress turn into a somewhat normal person. Or mad genius.

Jaune leaned down to Ruby. "Do you know what she's going on about?" Because she had lost him at this point.

"I'm not sure either," she voiced her own confusion.

Weiss turned to face the two heroes. "I'm talking about Jaune's Passive you dunces! It deals with something related to his magical aptitude! You remember when I explained how you learned a shield spell so quickly. Then the healing spell!"

"Yeah," he mouthed, cupping his chin. "But how would that explain why none of my other spells work?"

"There must be a limit to what spells you can use," she proposed. "The same goes for casting anything on yourself."

"That's right..."

 _A Passive related to greater magical proficiency. But limited in what you could do with it? I can't cast anything on myself. And I can't use offensive magic that harms others._

 **Passive:**

Another label, similar to what Jaune could see when he examined weapons and armour appeared in his head.

 **Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful, offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 _It's like a pacifist's Passive..._

Jaune's mind began racing for any other conclusions he could draw from this. While not an overpowered Passive, it was something that would give him an edge where needed. Shielding spells and greater versions of his own healing magic.

More suited to healers actually. Jaune's Passive. A mediocre spellcaster with something like this could very well be more useful working at a hospital. But Jaune was not a healer, but a knight.

 _A Paladin..._

A sound came crashing through his skull. What sounded like someone smacking an anvil with a hammer next to Jaune's head. He barely managed to conceal the pain of this headache from the others.

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

"Jaune, are you ok," Ruby asked, waving her hand out in front of him.

Jaune shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "Just thinking about something." He stood up all the way. "We should get back to Westburg. Collect our gold."

"We should also collect loot from the Wraiths," Weiss added on. "The ectoplasm can be used in potions. And the crystals they drop are valuable."

 **[Westburg]**

Jaune stepped, more like fell out of the portal. Ruby and Weiss followed as they ended up in the middle of Westburg. The dozen or so people around them were startled by their sudden entrance. Many of them were downright afraid of the heroes.

"I hate portals," Jaune complained, shaking off the tingling feeling he got from using them.

"They're preferable over walking," Weiss replied, taking a few steps forward. On the third step, her legs seemed to give out.

"Oh shit," Jaune cursed as he bolted over to the Mage. Catching her in his arms. "You all right."

"Yes," she groaned. "Magicka exhaustion. I just need a minute." She looked around and saw where she was at the moment. A fierce blush overtook her cheeks. "And let me go!" Weiss shook Jaune off of her. Ruby coming in to take his place.

"I'll go talk to Samson," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head, looking to Ruby. "Go take her to get some food and water. I'll catch up to you guys at the inn."

...

"A demon," Samson uttered. " _Fuck_!"

"A ghoul," Jaune explained. "Lone one as well. Normally travels in packs. Has a fondness for human flesh." _Or so the historians say._ "I wanted to let you know there was one in the area."

Samson sat back down in his chair. Toying with the large mace sitting atop of the wooden table in front of him. He seemed to consider alternatives. Stroking his beard at the same time.

"What is it going to cost me to get that taken care of," he asked himself, looking up at Jaune. "I presume the Noonwraith is gone?!"

"The Wraiths are gone," Jaune answered, pulling out a small opal-coloured crystal. "This is the proof."

"I see..." He began digging for something under his desk.

"And Sir," Jaune continued. "Any demon contracts are the responsibility of the Kingdom. If you write a petition to Professor Ozpin, I will take it to him."

Any and all demons are under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom. Meaning, they don't want some noble to try hiring a group of teenagers to do it. They needed a professional hero, a Knight, Chevalier, or any experienced hero would take on the contract immediately. Primarily due to how much they pay out.

"Goodman," Samson said, setting a coin purse on the table. "If ye would wait around for a spit I could have a letter drawn up for ye. And here's the gold with a little something extra for bringing the Grimm to my attention."

"Thank you, Sir..."

 **[Beacon: Ozpin's Office]**

Jaune stood before the older man as he read through the letter. Professor Goodwitch stood near the entrance and watched the boy like a hawk. A slight trickle of sweat came down his brow as he stood at the centre of attention. Jaune did his best to shrug the feeling off.

"Thank you for bringing this letter to me, Mr Arc," Ozpin said, setting the letter down in front of him. He looked over to Goodwitch. "Glynda, could you give us a moment."

The older woman nodded and stepped out.

"I see you've found your Passive," Ozpin began, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, Professor," Jaune answered. "I also found something else out. I'm a Paladin."

"I know," Ozpin gave a curt reply. "I'm assuming a loud noise rang out inside your head. One that was quite painful."

"Yes..." That headache still remained, just barely.

"I see," he mumbled. "We call that phenomenon, 'Earning Your Class.' Or as Knights and Chevaliers call it, earning their, 'Knighthood.'"

"So what does this mean for me," Jaune asked. "Don't Paladins go to another school?"

"You have the option, yes," Ozpin replied. "But, given you have established a stable relationship with Ms Schnee and Ms Rose. I think your choice is going to be obvious."

"Yeah," Jaune rubbed the back of his head. He really didn't want to abandon his friends for another school if he could help it. "I'm not some 'Chosen One' am I? Riding in on a steed to save the day." That was a worrying proposition, especially since a Paladin saved the world less than a century ago.

"I would actually recommend a Gryphon," Ozpin replied in jest. "And no, I think it is improbable that any person we know now is your, 'Chosen One.' While Paladins have performed incredible feats in the past. Not all of them are heroes or even healers. Actually, members of your class are uncommon. Numbering less than five thousand worldwide."

"Really," Jaune wondered.

"Yes," Ozpin continued. "Many Paladins come from a wide range of backgrounds. Thieves, sailors, hunters such as your self, and even others who call themselves Knights. Many Paladins never truly earn their class. In fact, at this moment, you are the only Paladin attending my Academy."

"Well, no pressure," Jaune joked, letting out a nervous chuckle. "But what's next for me?"

"That is to be largely left up to you," Ozpin explained. "You will continue attending this academy and will continue training under myself and Professor Goodwitch. So long as you keep performing in an exemplary manner. I think you will have no trouble graduating from my academy." He opened a drawer from his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Professor Goodwitch and I will also give you a list of methods to improve your studies as well as your magical abilities. I hope to see your progress at the end of the year, Mr Arc."

"Thank you, Professor," Jaune said, taking the sheet from the man. Before turning around, he paused. "One more thing, Professor. Recently, I've begun having headaches and a craving for Exp."

"Hmm, I see," Ozpin said, cupping his chin. "You started out in my academy, at level ten, yes? And you've nearly doubled your level since then."

"Yes," Jaune answered. "I'm level Eighteen now."

"You would not be the first to have this affliction, Mr Arc," Ozpin explained. "You are merely adjusting to your new strengths. One could say you're adapting to a new body. Like an insect that is moulting. It is not always a clean process. Doubling your level in such a short amount of time is going to have physiological effects as well. In many students, once they have some time, it will go away, but do not hesitate to visit the infirmary if you have problems." He turned his chair to face Vale. "If nothing else, you are dismissed, Mr Arc."

"Yes, Sir..." Jaune turned and made his exit.

* * *

 **Fucking finally, I'm done. I can go back to playing God of War now.**

 **And if you're wondering why I put the quote with the Paladin Class. It's something I would expect an RPG like this to do. Something to sort of explain the character of the class. And if you don't like it. Then deal with it.**

* * *

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

 **Level Eighteen**

 **Strength 34 (+1)**

 **Agility 18 (+1)**

 **Defence 24 (+1)**

 **Perception 28 (+1)**

 **Constitution 34 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 42 (+2)**

 **Charisma 22 (+1)**

 **Willpower 15 (+1)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Passive: Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	18. Act Two: Chapter One

**Finally got this chapter written up!**

 **Welcome to Act Two ladies and gents!**

 **My plan for this act goes like this. We start off after a time skip. Then we slowly get into the real plot of the story with breaks in between. (Because our heroes won't always be fighting their enemies. That's Ozpin's and Goodwitch's job. Team JNPR and RWBY are merely caught up in this.) And finally we will end this act with Jaune and Weiss getting together.**

 **Nobody will be getting their dick wet just yet. I don't even know how long this act is going to be. It might be twenty chapters long or forty. That goes along with my goal to pass one million words before I finish this story in total. This story is easy for me to come up with a lot of shit to write because I have a massive amount of material and my own creativity to draw from, so we might just get there.**

 **Also...**

 **Holy Shit! My newest story got a lot of love! I was honestly nervous about posting that one, but it was well received and shall be continued this week. Go check out Monsters Are Men Just Like you and I after you're done here. *Cough* Shameless Plug *Cough***

 **I am also coming up with themes for each of my stories. I need some help with some of them. (None are decided yet.)**

 **I'm thinking V** **ogel im kafig or God of War for this story.**

 **High School of the Dead by LeeandLie for The Lengths We Must Go To.**

 **Though Are Paths May Diverge by Mili for To Those Who Survived The Fall.**

 **And finally, Hello Goodbye by Scenarioart for Beacon's Number One! Or Hikaru Nara by Goosehouse.**

 **I don't have one that fits for Monsters Are Men Just Like You and I. Yet.**

 **Last Note! Weiss definitely has a crush on Jaune. Why?! I don't even know yet! But she does. Everything shall be explained in due time!**

* * *

 **Edit Note (2/5/20): Minor edits. Nothing too major. I only made some grammar changes and edited out the original OC.**

* * *

Jaune began strapping armour to his body. As he tightened the leather straps to his arms and legs, the Paladin prepared himself for the next match. There needed to be nothing but a focused state of mind. Every move had to be perfect or else he would be defeated.

It had been almost two weeks since his first quest with Weiss and Ruby as a party. In that time, he managed to crank out another level through additional quests and smithing. Finally reaching level nineteen, nearly halfway to his father's level forty-five.

The money coming in alongside the levels was okay. Jaune and his party had gone out and completed three quests with two being back to back, netting them two thousand lien in total. Which was a good amount, really. It was nothing to scoff at since they already had their rent taken care of this month. The three were just starting out as well as their companions, so they had not had the opportunity to go out on larger quests.

Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors in one motion, holding the sword up to the light. He examined the steel for deformities. The blade was holding up to the abuse he had been putting it through but would need to be scrapped for reforging.

 _I'm getting sloppy._ Jaune picked off a piece of grime from the blade. _Maintenance should never be overlooked!_

His shield and the rest of his armour were holding up quite nicely. Both sets having a few dings here and there due to Jaune tanking, but they were solid. In need of serious repolishing like the rest of his gear, but would withstand damage before rusting. He wouldn't let his kit go that far either.

 _Let's go..._

Jaune sheathed his sword, turning away at the same moment. He left his shield behind as it would not do him any good with this opponent. Ira Rubrum as well. Hell, his armour wouldn't help him either.

Walking back to Goodwitch's arena, Jaune kept himself silent. The only sound he could hear was his boots clicking and the crowd in the stands. It was foreboding really, having to go out there and compete like this, but Jaune needed the experience, fighting people.

Monster's always had a disconnection when you fought them. They were monsters, not people. Sure, monsters could seem scary, but they were predictable. Humans and faunus were not. Matches like this ensured some preparation before one would go out to do the deed.

Coming out into the arena, a massive sandpit sat before Jaune. All eyes were on him as he was the first person out. Many faces showed displeasure at his arrival, others, his friends, flashed bright smiles and cheered.

Being the only Paladin at the Academy was not a walk in the park. Many disliked Jaune solely for the reason of being that. After learning of his Class, it didn't take long for everyone else to know what he was. The rumour mill guaranteed that information made its way around the campus.

What seemed to be the consensus on the general opinion behind Paladins was they were abominations. Being the hybridisation between a Mage and Knight meant Jaune was not going to be making many friends. He got the worst preconceptions from both classes. The fear of him being a Mage overshadowed any notion of him being part Knight.

His friends took it better than most others at least.

Ruby was ecstatic about the news as was expected. Apparently, the fairy tales she had as a child featured Paladins on the regular, which was a good thing. She thought it was cooler since one was responsible for saving the entire world less than a century ago.

Yang, Blake, Sun, and Nora didn't really care about it. Blake didn't care at all. The rest just thought it was nice for him to find out about his Class. It didn't affect their opinions since they had already known him for some time.

Ren and Weiss were more interested in the usefulness behind his Class and Passive. The Monk pointed out the value behind the Passive Jaune got in relation to his healing abilities. Weiss seemed to be more or less giddy about understanding the practical uses for his Passive and him being a Paladin in general.

Jaune tore himself from these thoughts as his opponent exited the other end of the arena. Some more shouts followed from the Knights and Jaune's own friends.

 _Here we go, Jaune! Focus now!_

His chosen opponent for the day. Baldrian. A six-foot-five inch wall of steel and muscle stood in front of him. A large black and silver greatsword in his hands.

"Good, now that we are all here, we may begin," Goodwitch started, stepping in between the two men. "This match will simply be a duel and the last one for this session. Whoever lands a 'killing' blow first, reduces their opponent's Aura below the twenty per cent threshold, throws their opponent from the ring, or forces the opponent to tap out will be declared the victor. Do the two of you understand the conditions I have laid out?"

"Yes," both men spoke, convincing the Professor they understood.

"Then you may do whatever you must to win," she said, backing away to the edge of the arena.

Jaune withdrew Crocea Mors again, holding her in the plough guard stance. Both hands wrapped tightly around the grip but were loose enough to allow the sword to fall from his hands instead of being torn from them. His opponent did the same but entering the tail guard stance. The long handle acted as a lever to offset the weight of the blade.

 _I need to move quickly. Can't let myself get hit once by his sword._

Baldrian's greatsword, being a large bladed club, would end this match if Jaune got in its way. Crocea Mors would be snapped in half if he even tried blocking a blow. So dodging and using his abilities was the only strategy left.

This presented Jaune with a problem. Many preconceived notions of Knights in heavy armour were that they were slow lumbering dreadnaughts. In fact, they were just as quick as a person with little armour or none at all. Maybe a little slower due to weight but could still keep up.

Jaune had fought quick opponents in the past. Russel and Blake were the fastest. The latter of which managed to squeeze out a victory when Jaune put her in a headlock. This was something that was not going to work this time.

Had Jaune used a pike alongside his swords, then this would be simpler. He didn't want to use the Longinuslanze Testament since it could only be used once per day with the added debuff. It had to be saved for when it was truly needed. Arclight could be spammed after a short fifteen-second delay.

What could he do against an opponent who was quick in both body and blade? Jaune needed to hit a weak spot in the armour and land the, 'killing blow.' Somewhere in his mail that was exposed.

His neck.

 _I know what I need to do._ Jaune relaxed his stance momentarily. _All prerequisites have been met. Just need to execute._

Jaune bolted forward closing the distance between the two. He drew back his sword past his hips, preparing for a single thrust to end the match as quickly as possible. If he drew this out longer than it needed to be, then more mistakes could be made, leading to a potential defeat.

Baldrian, in return, lifted the sword above his head into the high guard stance. He took one step forward, bringing the blade down with all of his strength. The black and white blade coming down where Jaune's shoulder would have been.

Jaune recognised this and kept pushing forward. Baldrian was aiming to end this match in a single move. Both knew this, and Jaune knew that he couldn't stand taking a single hit.

His opponent could not immediately change the direction of the attack. He had to commit due to the weight behind the blade. This is what Jaune was taking advantage of. He was banking on his mobility to outperform damage dealing.

"SHIELD," Jaune shouted loudly, casting a white glyph above him. The circular guard condensed from the magicka within his hand before hardening into a solid construct.

 _Gotcha!_

The greatsword crashed into the magical glyph, partially embedding itself into it. With the blade wedged into the shield, Jaune took advantage of the moment. The look on Baldrian's face was one of surprise as he was rendered weaponless.

Jaune didn't let up at the loss of his opponent's weapon. Heroes still had their Abilities and whatever Passives up their sleeves. He was still just as dangerous with or without the sword.

 **Arclight...**

Thrusting his sword forward with his right hand, Jaune extended his reach, leaving his other hand behind. The point of the blade headed straight for space between his opponent's oesophagus and sternocleidomastoid. A single blow here is what was needed to end the match as quickly as possible.

At the same time, a bright ball of sunlight condensed in his hand before exploding outwards. The light coated and blinded everyone in the area, including Jaune himself. The moment he regained any of his vision, he would go for the throat.

Barely being able to make out a whole image, Jaune continued his thrust. The faint outline of his opponent's neck was the aim here.

 _Come on!_

Jaune fully extended his arm, a solid four feet away from his opponent.

Expecting to find the tip of his blade poking the soft tissue of Baldrian's neck, Jaune was stunned to see he missed. The sword had barely skimmed past his neck, bypassing the muscle completely.

 _SHIT! I MISSED!_

He pulled back his sword in an attempt to backpedal. Before Jaune could make any progress, a solid right hook connected with his nose. The blow dazed him, throwing the boy off balance. A small trickle of blood came from one of the nostrils.

Jaune felt a hand press against his stomach. Suddenly a firery explosion erupted from within the palm. A burning flame engulfed the entirety of his front side, causing a stinging pain. The blast throwing Jaune across the room and slamming him into a beam. His back splintered the wood as the two made contact.

His Aura had been completely obliterated in two moves, sending him all the way to ten per cent. The rest of it protected him from the flames along with Goodwitch's spell. Yet it had felt like Jaune stuck his face inside of a forge.

He peeled off the beam after sticking to it for a moment. Jaune fell nearly fifteen feet into the sandpit. Crocea Mors followed, landing right next to him and sticking into the sand.

 _Ow..._

Jaune reached forward, grasping at the sand. The pain from both the landing and his opponent's ability remained fresh. His body felt like it had run through a gauntlet.

"Baldrian Distel is the winner," Goodwitch announced. This was followed by cheering from the crowd.

Jaune pushed himself off the floor. His muscles and back ached from being tossed around like a rag doll. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could be, but it still wasn't pleasant. A hand came down, offering to help him up. Jaune took it without issue.

"Here," Baldrian said, heaving Jaune to his feet.

Brushing himself off, Jaune wiped soot and ash off of his clothes. The blast creating much of that as it singed his Aura into nothingness. Luckily it didn't burn a hole through his shirt as he expected it to. Jaune didn't want to replace another good shirt.

Goodwitch stepped forward, closing the distance between the three.

"Excellent match, gentlemen," she complimented, turning to Baldrian. "Mr Distel, while you were victorious, you left your defences wide open. One has to understand that no matter how much armour you don, your defences are not impregnable. Mr Arc baited you in, and you took it gleefully. Had he not narrowly missed his final strike, this battle would have been handed to him on a silver platter." She turned to Jaune. "Mr Arc. While your attack strategy has merit, you must work on execution. The use of a shield spell to disable the opponent's weapon was perfect; however, you need to use abilities sparingly. Had you not blinded yourself at the last minute, this battle would have gone your way." She turned back to face both of them. "Nonetheless, both of you performed admirably. I would suggest; however, that each of you works to perfect your strategies." The Sorceress turned to face the rest of the crowd. "And for the rest of you. Take this duel as a lesson. Brute forcing a fight is not always the answer. Your opponent can take advantage of you and trap you in a corner. Neither is fighting fair. You must be doing whatever you can to ensure a victory because your opponent will go to those same lengths if it is a fight to the death. There is no honour in being a dead man."

As she finished, a small butterfly flew in through a window. The tiny insect landing on her hand before flying away. "One last thing," Goodwitch continued. "For those of you in my Magical Practice class, it has been cancelled for today. I will be requesting some of you, however, for assistance with a matter." She turned to the exit and began heading there. "If nothing else, the rest of you are dismissed."

Students began rising from the bleachers. Another dozen or so butterflies flew in before anyone could leave and landed on some students. The small insects conveyed their message then fluttered away.

 _Huh... I wonder what all that is about?_

 **[Beacon Courtyard]**

Jaune left the stadium to head back to the forge. Since classes were cancelled, he may as well get some work done on a sword or two. Those who weren't completely disgusted by him being part Mage would buy them. A few Rouges bought daggers here and there, and some Warriors would come by to have dents knocked out of their amour by an actual smith.

What seemed to bring those customers was that Jaune worked cheap. He didn't charge high prices like those did in the city. Enough to make a fifty per cent profit from purchasing the materials was all he asked for. Either that or they could bring the materials and get a discount. The extra amount charged also covered the labour too.

That reminded him of something. Jaune needed to grab some more steel. He wanted to try adding onto his armour since he had some extra Lien laying around. The few customers he had gotten bought enough to make it worth his time.

On his way back, Jaune noticed Ren by himself.

The two men were kind of friends. Although he, Pyrrha, and Nora were a lot closer than Jaune was to any of them. He and Ren just didn't have many reasons to hang out. Same for the rest of them.

"Hey Ren," Jaune called out. The other man turned to look at Jaune, nodding as he recognised the boy. "No Nora today?" She wasn't around or clinging to Ren like an extra sleeve. He had actually never seen them after this class until his session with Goodwitch was over.

Jaune was still unsure if the two were together. Nora kept saying they were not together-together but together. He was nevertheless lost on the exact meaning behind that even though the bubbly war hammer-wielder kept repeating it whenever someone would tease the two.

Ren momentarily narrowed his eyes before relaxing them, expressing his annoyance. "No," he answered emotionlessly. "She has classes. You?"

"I'm heading back to my forge," Jaune replied, stretching out his shoulder. "I can't really do anything else after that match earlier since I have no Aura." He really didn't want to go through having that debuff again. Better safe than sorry.

Ren snorted. "You did take a hard hit," he commented. "I'm surprised you got up from that."

 _I'm surprised too._

Some students had to be taken to the infirmary due to injuries dealt by their opponents. Goodwitch's spell was not able to provide complete protection as some students found out the hard way.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "But it still hurt a lot. Like I was standing in a bonfire." He could still feel the heat on his skin. A phantom pain one could say.

"Hmm," Ren hummed. "I figured you would have gotten used to that. You have been working in the forge a lot lately."

"Yeah..." Jaune mindlessly said, rubbing the back of his head.

There was a reason as to why he had locked himself in there. It had to deal with a particular crush on a petite white-haired woman.

Before Jaune could further add to his response, he turned to see something in the middle of Vale. A massive plume of smoke jutting out from the centre of the city. The black column reaching high into the sky, dwarfing even Beacon itself.

"What's going on over there," Jaune quietly asked.

A few other students had taken up watching the smoke rise. Even some teachers had joined in as well, dropping everything they were previously doing. Some reacted in fear of the potential danger. Others were just confused like Jaune.

"It looks a fire," Ren answered Jaune's rhetorical question.

"I see that," Jaune replied, slightly annoyed. "But we shouldn't worry. It probably won't spread over here anyway."

Ren turned to him with a confused look. "What makes you say that," he asked.

Jaune pointed to the walls of the Academy. "This place is a castle," he began explaining. "High stone walls all around, and no trees inside that are close enough to be set on fire. A fire getting started in here is an entirely different question."

If the fire didn't burn out on its own or spread, then Vale was in for a brutal wake-up call. Most of the homes here were made from wood or some mixture including it. What was burning didn't matter, however. The real question is, who started it?

"Hopefully you're right," Ren said, stepping forward.

"I don't know," Jaune said, unconfident in his own words. "But I'll find out soon." He began heading to the front gate of the Academy.

"You're going down there," Ren asked. No concern touching his voice at all and keeping its natural tone.

"Yeah, I've got to grab some stuff," Jaune explained, turning around to face Ren. "You wanna come?"

"I can't," Ren replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Professor Peach has us picking mushrooms, so I'm stuck here."

"I see," Jaune acknowledged his friend's commitments. "Then I'll see you later, I guess." He gave the other man a two-fingered salute before turning around again.

 **[Vale]**

Jaune wandered down into Vale proper, looking through the merchant stalls. Many were vacant due to the fire, but a few were offering their wares still. Mostly food merchants which Jaune bought a peach off of one, and some weapons dealers selling moderately overpriced gear. A few pieces were pretty high quality and some trash tier.

Looking back up to the sky. The cloud of smoke had changed colours. It was no longer a deep black-grey anymore but a ghost white colour. Someone had put the fire out rather quickly. The timing of Goodwitch's announcement and this could not have been a coincidence.

 _At least it didn't destroy the town..._

Jaune bit into the fresh peach. The velvet texture on the outside, giving way to the smooth, slippery inside. It's tangy and sweet taste washed over his tastebuds.

If that happened, Jaune would have been unable to get great tasting foods like this one easily. Ever since he arrived in Vale, his palate had expanded to encompass many more foods than he had previously considered. Yang and Ruby saw to that by dragging him out to the many taverns and restaurants in the city. Blake even came along at the mention of something to eat.

Between all the fun and games, Jaune had been training pretty intensely as well. Working to fight harder and faster as well as devoting his time to ending fights like the one he had been in earlier. Throwing caution to the wind was becoming something of a regular occurrence for the boy when in battle. It had first shown during his last quest when his party fought a Catar.

Jaune bolted forward under cover of Arclight and stabbed the beast in the throat. That pushed him to level nineteen, and a half since it was the final hit landed on the creature. But the beastly vampire's death did not precede Jaune getting thrown twenty feet away.

His teeth bit into the hard part of the peach, bringing him back to reality. The hard pit was covered in traces of flesh from the fruit he had just devoured. Sticky from the juices that covered Jaune's hand at the same time, he tossed the pit away before cleaning off his fingers at a spigot.

Jaune was wasting time munching on his peach. He had come into the city to grab some things. There also was something else that he had meant to do. Something that had been neglected for quite some time in the last two months.

He needed to send a letter back home.

More than likely, his family was worried sick about him. Jaune knew this because he would have felt the same if one of his siblings had up and vanished like he did. Even the only sibling that actually left Bar, Saphron, kept in touch better than he ever did.

Luckily there was a courier service in Vale that could send the letter for him. Jaune had also intended to send some of his Lien at the same time. Partly to show he was making money doing what he loved, and to give his parents enough money to enrol his youngest sisters to an actual school.

His older sisters and parents were largely self-educated. Enough to seem more intelligent than the average peasant but each never having professional schooling. Jaune wanted to give his sisters a better opportunity by paying the tuition needed to have them attend an academy in Vale. Here they could at least become doctors or enter some other profession that would keep them from being stuck as peasants.

Jaune knew he never wanted to live that life. He didn't want that for his sisters either.

...

Jaune finally came to the large building housing the courier's offices. It was actually just a small shed attached to the outside of some stables. Which made sense, since someone had to lug the packages to and from Vale. No one wanted to walk a hundred miles to some backwater to deliver a letter.

Knocking on the counter, an older man stepped out from behind a desk. The inside of the office was littered with documents and small piles of Lien laying about. It wasn't disorganised per se. Everything had been neatly piled up and segregated with every piece of the puzzle set.

"Hello there," the man began. "How can I help you?" He seemed polite enough. Other merchants around Vale were not nearly as pleasant as he was.

"I need to send a letter," Jaune answered before setting his coin pouch on the counter. "And a package as well." The coin made a collective clink as it settled against the wood.

"I see..." The man shuffled behind his desk, pulling out a parchment and quill. He pushed them forward to the boy who accepted both. "There's a space just over there where you may write."

 _At least he didn't ask me if I could write._

Jaune was still trying to get away from the village yokel label that was stuck to him. Not many people knew he was a country boy, and Jaune wanted to keep it that way. There was no point in giving his hecklers any more ammunition than they already had.

Jaune dipped the tip of his quill into an inkwell. He was about to press the blackened end of the writing utensil against the parchment before stopping. He hesitated. But why?

 _What do I write?_

Jaune hadn't thought this part through. He told himself that he would get to writing his family a letter one day, but never contemplated what he should send them. Actually, Jaune only considered sending coin. Never words in detail.

 _Okay, let's just... get this over with._ He put his quill to the parchment and began writing.

 _Mom, Dad, Joan, Vi, Noire, Rouge, Blanche, Cereza, and Saphron,_

 _I guess I should have sent a letter sooner. I'm sorry... for several things, actually. Leaving without saying goodbye for one. And not writing anything for the past month. Things have been busy lately, and I was working the courage up to send something back._

 _I'm living in Vale at the moment. I've found work as a Mage's Second. It's not bad work, and it pays well, really. We explore crypts, and I watch her back while she studies any artefacts we find. I also do some smithing on the side and sell anything I make to adventurers. So I have a steady income when I'm not out._

 _I made enough money from a single dive through some old ruins to purchase a set of high-quality gear from Vale's master smith. It'll protect me in the long run until I get something better. However, I still have a lot of money sitting on the side from my other adventures. It's enough to send Blanche, Noire, and Rouge to an academy in Vale for a year._

 _Since work is pretty steady, I'll be able to make enough to send them back every year. So there won't be any worries about the money running out. I don't need that much to get by, and I already have a place of my own. I'm even looking to upgrade to a better home in a few weeks once I get some more money coming in._

 _But how are you guys doing? I haven't heard anything from Bar lately, so I hope things are alright. None of you has come to Vale with an army to search for me either._

 _I hope to hear something back soon._

 _Jaune._

He let out a long exhale, pulling his quill away from the parchment. Jaune had never been great at writing letters, so this poor attempt had come with no small effort. Writing, in general, had never been his strong suit either. That was his older sister's profession.

Hopefully, none of his family members were angry with him. Maybe when they realised Jaune had disappeared, they had been? It was really out of Jaune's hands after he made his choice.

He was willing to accept the consequences of that.

Coming back over to the window, Jaune dropped some Lien on the table. Enough to pay for the delivery of his letter and coin. A measly two silver coins were all that was required.

"I need both of these sent to Bar," Jaune requested, staring at the man across from him. He pushed the coin and sealed letter forward.

"Huh, Bar," the man mumbled. "You're lucky we have an office over there."

"Really?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. "We choose major towns and cities to set up associate offices. Our man will have the package delivered there in less than a fortnight. We only travel on established trade routes, so there is little to worry about."

 _Good..._

The last thing Jaune wanted was to have that coin stolen. It would just be another headache he would have to deal with. To top it all off, that money was something he had been saving for quite some time. So, it would feel like a personal attack against him.

 _Hopefully, it gets there. I'm just afraid of what Mom or Dad will say._

...

 _I need to find some metal now._

Jaune walked into the crowd before him, having just literally handed over his letter and coin. He still had enough Lien on him to purchase a few ingots of higher quality steel or another alloy, but he needed to be careful and not go overboard.

There was still a pile of Draugr metal laying around in Beacon's bank vault that Jaune could use. If he knew how to work the metal that is.

Enchanted steels used by the Pre-Golden Age Valeans were something else entirely. It needed to be worked a certain way, or you would never be able to make anything out of it. Jaune guessed it had to deal with the heating process or having to cycle heating and working the metal.

Jaune would have liked to spend some time experimenting with the metal, but frankly, he couldn't use his weekends for that. There were more important things to do than live inside the forge and play with a chunk of steel. And, honestly, it wouldn't be making him any money if he just failed every time.

 _Maybe there's a book in the library I can look through? I could practice if I knew the basics._

Before he could push any further, a person bumped into his side. Turning and grabbing his coin purse at the same time, Jaune found the sack of coin to still be there. However, there was someone else in front of him.

Two feet away, Weiss stood in front of Jaune. She was more akin to a statue as she stared up at the taller boy. Her two wide eyes further dilated as they met with Jaune's.

The girl in front of him used to be his crush. One that he abandoned. Which led him into a slump. Then got over in time for their next quest.

As it turns out, beating a sword into shape tended to be a great way to get rid of negative emotions. Just getting everything out while doing something productive in the process.

What a fun time that was!

"Hey, Weiss," Jaune spoke up. His voice sounded plain. There was no real distinct emotion coming from him. Something that had been more and more frequent since the Noonwraith Quest.

"Uh, h-hello, Jaune," she quickly replied, practically blurting out the words.

 _What's going on with her today?_

"So what are y-"

"I-I was running errands," she blurted out, interrupting the latter part of his question. Jaune couldn't tell if she was nervous or just acting strange again. "W-What about you?!"

Weiss had been acting really weird, lately. She was abnormally antsy at times for some reason. Her typically regal demeanour would crumble and become this. The Princess' behaviour only became stranger after the Noonwraith Quest. Jaune couldn't figure out what was going on for the life of him.

Jaune Arc. The man who hunted monsters for years on end. Lived with eight women for his entire life. Is a hero at Beacon Academy. Cannot understand a woman's behaviour.

Pathetic? Most likely! Understandable? Definitely!

The good news about this whole debacle Jaune got himself in was his way out after giving up on Weiss. It was by taking the easy way out. He decided to try and befriend her, which was working quite well as far as he could tell. Quenching his feelings and approaching the problem with logic, a few well-placed words, and not thinking about her as your romantic interest but as a potential friend seemed to do the trick.

At least she had stopped calling him Arc. However, Weiss still called him a dunce when he well and truly fucked up. Or did something ballsy that ended up getting himself injured. Then she had a whole slew of new names for him.

However, even in becoming friends with his former crush. The pain was still there. At least it was self-inflicted, and not delivered like a dagger to the heart from the girl. Honestly, this was the best path to go down. No one got hurt, but Jaune who received a mild wound. One that he was still recovering from, yet quickly.

"I'm looking for a smith," Jaune answered Weiss' question. "I need to buy some metal. Add something to my armour."

 _Maybe some greaves and poleyns?_

"Then do you mind if I come with you," she immediately followed up, almost excitedly this time but hidden better. "I was planning to pick up some things as well!"

 _It makes sense... I guess. It was kind of boring walking around by myself now that I think about it. Plus, we kind of work together now, so it would be a good idea to know whatever gear she needs._

"Sure, why not," he agreed whole-heartedly, shrugging his shoulders.

A few weeks ago, Jaune would have been ecstatic about Weiss joining him when going out. Now, however, he didn't care all that much anymore. You could say his heart had numbed as time progressed. Either that, or he closed his heart to everything related to romance.

"Okay," she said, pressing her palms together. Her regal-like manner coming back to her. "I need ingredients for a spell. We can acquire those from a magic shop in the city. However, we are closer to the mercantile district, so it would be more appropriate to head to a smithy."

"Alright then, let's get going," Jaune concluded before heading off, back into the bazaar just outside of Beacon.

 **[Valish Market]**

He kept his pace slow as to not lose Weiss in the crowd. Her short stature did not do her any favours when trying to keep up with a boy who was nearly a foot taller than her. It was amusing really, as she was forced to fast walk or jog to stay by his side.

"So, you've always made your own weapons and armour," Weiss asked out of the blue. Her antsiness had disappeared entirely by now and replaced with her usual confidence. She sounded almost curious, really.

Ever since the beginning of their partnership, the two heroes had slowly begun learning about one another. Weiss was rather uncommunicative about her life still, not that it mattered much to Jaune. In turn, Jaune had divulged some information about his own when he was in the mood for it, albeit altered.

The above meaning that Jaune was lying in a sense. Actually, more like not telling the whole truth about the training he received or what led to him coming to Beacon. The conversations he was in rarely turned to those questions, and if it did, Jaune avoided the subject. However, he never told an outright lie to his friends about his past. Only lying about how he was feeling at the moment.

"Yep," Jaune chirped, letting himself seem more cheerful. "I've been working metal since I was big enough to swing a hammer!"

"It shows," Weiss mumbled, quietly enough for Jaune not to hear. "I can see why you wish to purchase your own metal then. Seeing as you know what you are doing."

They finally arrived at Jaune's destination. A small merchant's stall connected to a larger shack and forge. The smell of burning charcoal in the air-filled his nostrils as well as Weiss'. The latter holding the back of her wrist up to her nose to shield it from the scent.

"It's usually cheaper to refine ore to an ingot," Jaune explained, stepping up to merchant's table. "But buying ingots is easier, and I can just skip all the nonsense. The Exp is also really good when you can make a few swords over the weekend."

In front of Jaune was an assortment of different ores and ingots. A few types of steel and iron on one side. Several exotic ores on the other.

Jaune picked up a greenish coloured ingot.

 **Orichalcum.**

 **A rich alloy found in southern Sanus. Typically used in heavy armours.**

The price of the ingot was nearly three hundred Lien. _I'll just pass on this one._ He set the ingot back down.

"However," Weiss began, walking up to his side. "Why would you use blacksmithing for farming Exp? Performing menial tasks such as this generally render a meagre amount when compared to hunting monsters, or even people. That doesn't even begin to account for diminishing returns!"

Jaune grabbed a few steel ingots and purchased them. Each was a similar alloy of silicon and steel that he usually used, but these had a splash of vanadium mixed in. In turn, making the armour forged from this material have a little more yield strength.

"Yeah, but I don't have to spend three days hunting for monsters to get maybe a half levels worth of Exp," Jaune replied, tucking the ingots into his bag. "I can finish two swords in an afternoon if I rush, and get a quarter of level depending on the material. If I were using dragon bone or say golem resin, then I would have to spend two weeks working the material and end up with five or six levels where I'm at right now." He turned away from the merchant stall. "But you have a point on the diminishing returns. I can only use regular steels and steel-like alloys for a few more levels. Then I have to go searching for exotic materials."

Jaune could see it right now. Him turning into a madman looking for the rarest materials on the planet. Not that something like that hadn't already happened, just not to him yet.

"Of course I had a point," Weiss chided in response, staring up at the taller boy. "But, if you could do us all a favour and not hunt down a dragon, that would be nice. It would save me the headache, honestly. And while I would be impressed by you finding an extinct species, I would also be irritated because of your carelessness that would have most likely led us into the dragon's lair!"

"It would be fun watching you get mad though," Jaune quipped, turning towards the Mage while walking sideways.

"How is that funny," Weiss shouted in response, stomping her foot in anger. Both her cheeks turning red as she did so. "Why on Remnant would find entertainment in that you unconscionable bore!"

"Because of that," Jaune pointed out with a grin. "Your cheeks get really red, and you stomp your feet. But the insults take the cake! Especially the fancy words!"

The others seemed to take joy in the Mage's temper. Yang especially, because she knew where to look. Ruby would also find ways of annoying her by accident, which often led to many interesting lectures.

"Mmmm," Weiss growled in her throat before crossing her arms. She turned away from him, sporting a pout on her lips and reddened cheeks. "Let's just get to this store!" The Mage stomped forth leaving Jaune to follow behind.

 **[Magic Shop]**

Weiss led the pair to her destination. It was a large building on the fancier side of town. Something that a noble would own or possibly an affluent merchant with connections to the royal court. That, and it was probably the largest house he had ever seen.

The appearance of the home was similar to that of many other Valish residences. A red tile roof, stone walls with wood and plaster mixed in between, and finally, these massive windows all on the second floor leading to an open balcony. On the outside of the house, there were even gardens surrounding a fountain.

 _Nice place..._

Everything about this home and the area around screamed luxury and affluence. Most likely, any Valish noble not living outside of Vale had a home here. That didn't even begin taking into account the ones who had two or three houses along with their country estates.

Jaune felt out of his league here. He was nowhere nearly refined enough to mingle with these people. They had been groomed for their entire lives to seem as noble and majestic as possible when in public. Jaune was a bit rougher than what they must have ever experienced.

Weiss, on the other hand, seemed to blend in with ease. She knew what 'Game' these nobles played and had mastered it at an early age. The way she walked and spoke to any bystander out here flowed with elegance.

"Okay," Weiss began, heading for the door. She was no longer as irritated with his teasing as before. "When we go inside, _please_ do not touch anything."

"Why exactly," Jaune asked out of curiosity. "I'm not going to break stuff."

Cardin would be the one to pull some underhanded shit like that. He would do it just because this place was patronised by mages.

"Have you ever been inside a magic shop," Weiss asked in response, turning to face him.

"No..."

"Then humour me," she said with a hint of attitude. "There are hazardous items in this store that could kill you if mishandled."

That would be bad. Especially if it was painful.

"I see," Jaune replied, nodding his head. "You have a point..." Weiss rolled her eyes then headed inside. Jaune followed behind her, holding the door open for the Mage.

The inside of the shop was a mess, to say the least. It was filled with dozens of books lying around with jumbled piles of papers mixed in between. On shelves and nearby tables, potions and ingredients could be found. Many of which Jaune could not identify or even seen before. The rest of the store mimicked this same layout yet in low light from the lamps.

Weiss headed over to a table and began sifting through the ingredients that were out. Jaune stayed near the door but looked around as well. There may have been something he could use here.

"This isn't what I was expecting," Jaune said mindlessly.

"And what were you expecting," Weiss asked, picking up a jar of herbs.

"Oh, you know," Jaune began in a sing-song tone. "Dead bodies, an eye of a newt, maybe a large cauldron filled with blood? A few seemingly attractive women who would then turn into monsters once they realised we were here?"

Weiss gave him a look of disbelief, staring at him with an open mouth. Jaune couldn't tell if she was more confused or shocked as to what he thought.

"I'm kidding," Jaune backpedalled. "I was expecting more glassware."

There actually wasn't a lot of that here. For the number of potions for sale, Jaune expected there to be an entire lab dedicated to that. Maybe they just did not keep it down on the first floor?

"Hugh," Weiss sighed, shaking her head before going back to shopping. "Other than your fantasies concerning magic shops. You may want to find some spell tomes. They might come in handy for your next match."

Jaune forgot she was in the crowd. It would have been embarrassing had he outright lost without taking out his opponent. However, Jaune thought he put up a good fight.

"I'm guessing you were watching then," Jaune asked, picking up a spell tome.

"Of course I was," she replied with force behind her words. "I watch every match and remember their moves in the event they are my opponents. I also think of methods that would allow them to win. This is where I agree with Professor Goodwitch's analysis of your match today. Had you cast your ability two seconds earlier, then you would have won."

"I see..."

 _So I was that close to winning? I really need to get better at that!_

"However," Weiss continued, packing some pink powder into a jar. "No one can doubt your abilities in battle. Most of your opponents are far more powerful than you, and yet you can compete on the same level as them." She looked up at him. "Take that as a compliment. I don't think the other Knights see it the same way."

Jaune would have blushed a few weeks ago had she said that to him then. Now... It still felt good to receive praise from a princess of all people.

"Thanks," Jaune confidently replied, setting the tome back down. "Nice to see you're confident in my abilities!"

Weiss purchased her goods and began walking back over to him. "I do," she affirmed. "You're merely reckless to no end, which is why you are the one getting tossed around during our quests. That can be corrected, albeit at a later time." She reached for the door. "But we should return to Beacon for now. Then we can plan on more quests."

"Sure, why not..."

 **[Beacon Courtyard]**

It was getting closer to dusk as Weiss and Jaune arrived back at the Academy. A few students here and there, but most of them were probably inside their rooms or out training. The Paladin and Mage were practically by themselves with the distribution of the student body.

On their walk back, the two occupied themselves with a conversation, debating aspects of the world primarily. The two had also stopped to grab food in the meantime as neither had eaten for a while. Both enjoying the free time away from Beacon.

"So," Jaune began. "I think we should head out on a quest tomorrow. I'm running light on Lien."

Mainly because I spent most of it. All the items Jaune purchased today left him with a few hundred Lien. He needed to restock his coffers before any other big purchases.

"I agree," Weiss said, cupping her chin. "Ruby wouldn't say no to a quest. I could use the Lien too."

"Tomorrow then," Jaune asked, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe something a bit harder than the last quest?"

"I think that's a great idea..."

* * *

 **I can go to bed now! I have to be an adult and do adult things like go to work! So chapters may be a little slower coming out until I can get used to it.**

* * *

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

 **Level Nineteen**

 **Strength 36 (+2)**

 **Agility 19 (+1)**

 **Defence 25 (+1)**

 **Perception 29 (+1)**

 **Constitution 35 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 43 (+1)**

 **Charisma 23 (+1)**

 **Willpower 16 (+1)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Passive: Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	19. Act Two: Chapter Two

**This bitch took way too long to write!**

 **I had no motivation to write anything last week! I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I managed to force myself to write like 1,000 words of this, but I stopped there.**

 **But now! I have the motivation to work back!**

 **The next chapter I'm going to write is Day 14 of The Lengths We Must Go To. I told myself I wanted to get that out before I wrote anything else after this chapter.**

 **Also. I'm assigning themes to fights now. Those will be added onto the songs I have already chosen like: God of War, Vogel Im Kafig, any Witcher 3 OST, any Berserk OST, and Bleach Hell Verse OST. I will drop the song name in a set of brackets like this.**

 **[Geralt of Rivia]**

 **That will be the song I assign to this fight. You can then look it up and listen to it.**

 **But this chapter is part filler for the next series of events to kick off the plot and the beginning of Jaune going downhill from here.**

 **We also don't pussyfoot around violence here at Thisdudeintheback publishing. We are men of culture!**

 **By men. It's actually man. Because there's only one dude sitting behind this computer. I don't have like three other guys looking over my shoulder discussing how to describe the flavour of a peach. It's just me.**

 **One last thing! I have been working on drawing up a new path for one of my older stories. To Those Who Survived The Fall. It will keep the central themes of Jaune losing his family and getting turned into post-eclipse Guts or pre-Priestess Goblin Slayer. But I have decided to work at it from a different angle as to how Jaune arrives at Beacon.**

* * *

 **Whiteshale**

If Jaune had to guess, the town was named after the sheer white cliffs bordering all sides of the village. The set of dwellings was positioned atop a small plateau above the forest. Several more of these rock formations were connected to each other through rope and wood bridges. All had some form of a structure with what looked like the keep taking its own.

The pillars that the city rested upon were formed from an entirely different rock. Jaune had no idea what it was. He was no geologist. However, the rounded columns had seen much abuse over the years as erosion took hold and reduced some sections to rubble.

It was one of the more unusual villages he had seen. Most of the towns Jaune, Weiss, and Ruby visited were the usual thatch or wattle and daub structures. That and they were built upon the ground. This city was constructed on what could be described as semi-cylindrical towers. A bridge was needed to ascend to the upper layers of the elevated fortress.

Or the staircase carved into the side of the pillar. However, there were a few hundred steps that one had to ascend along with the fact they were only meant for use by a single column of people. They didn't look to be in great shape, either.

"This is it," Weiss asked, sceptical of the village before her. "I was expecting something ordinary." It didn't sound like she was impressed. But that was Weiss. It was difficult to impress her in most instances.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ruby chirped loudly, earning a few looks from nearby pedestrians. "This place is _amazing_!" She quickly ran up to the edge of the bridge. "I've never seen anything like this!"

 _Neither have I._

Jaune looked upwards, getting a feel of the massive structure before him. The pillars absolutely dwarfed everything below them. The people looking downwards seemed like ants in comparison.

Even the market place hiding in the shadow of the pillars looked minuscule. This bazaar was nothing to laugh at either. It was on par with Vale's yet more chaotic and fast-paced than the capital city. The massive sprawl of tents and awnings ran amock with lanterns or torches lighting the way. All dwarfed by the stone structure above.

"Have you seen anything like this, Weiss," Jaune asked, turning to the Mage. "Any _unusual_ geographical features of Solitas?"

Vale had a number of places like Whiteshale. Sanus, as a whole, had even more. Many still remained unconfirmed, but Jaune's books detailed the Natural Wonders of Remnant quite vividly.

Stories of lost cities or natural landmarks that could play a tune with the right gust of wind. Those often went alongside a dashing heroic-type who outsmarted enemies with mere wit before sliding through a closing stone door to safety just as their enemy was crushed beneath it. Jaune ate those stories up during his childhood.

As a kid, Jaune also wanted to go out and find one of these treasures to bring back a story for him to regale the citizens of Bar with. That went alongside his dreams of being a knight at first before his father sullied that opportunity. However, now that he was independent of his father, Jaune could do whatever he wanted.

Money was still an issue that acted as an obstacle to his dreams, but Jaune could sort that out after he graduated.

"Hmm," she hummed, thinking of an answer to Jaune's question. "Well, there is a natural cave system running throughout one of Atlas' largest mountains." Weiss cupped her chin as she thought about it a bit more. "Pre-Golden Age Atlesian's used the caves as a shelter and even carved out a massive city in the lower sections. Most of it is in ruins right now, but my father sent me with an entire battalion of soldiers to survey the city."

"Woah, that's cool," Ruby exclaimed turning to the Mage with her usual giddy expression. "Did you find any gold or jewels? Or something really cool like a dragon?!"

 _Finding an ancient mythical creature chained down in the depths of a lost city would make for an exciting adventure. The Quests I'm going on right now are fun enough, but you got to shake it up every once in a while. Add some danger to spice it up!_

"I'm surprised you had to bring along an entire battalion to escort you," Jaune added on. "From what I've seen... you don't really _need_ one."

Weiss was strong enough in her own right to not need that many soldiers to protect her. Hell, she didn't even need Jaune to watch over her that often either. This allowed him to take a more proactive role in Quests while she offered support with spells.

"To answer your questions," Weiss began, turning to Ruby. "No, we did not find anything of extreme value. The ruins had been picked clean by looters decades before our expedition. I was more interested in judging whether or not the structure's integrity remained intact and able to be lived in by miners and their families. It had some minor issues, but the royal engineers saw to making repairs." She turned to Jaune. "However, this was almost two years ago. I was not as adept with my spell casting as I am now. Any number of my father's enemies would have taken that as an opportunity to unseat an heir." She said the last half of her explanation with an unfaltering tone despite the dangers she could have been in. Only someone who had been used to an ever-present threat to their lives could have said this without faltering.

"I see," Jaune said in understanding, nodding to the Heiress.

It was impressive that she went to those lengths to secure a source of revenue for her kingdom. When describing how she wanted to use the old city for citizens, Weiss almost seemed proud about it. More of a genuine pride you get from doing something right. Not that haughty pride Jaune found when he first met the Mage.

"But, we are merely wasting time here," Weiss continued, taking the first steps up the bridge. "The Quest Giver is waiting for us to arrive, and I would rather not keep them waiting."

 **[Upper District]**

Finally making it to the top of the three hundred metre stone bridge. Jaune and his party found themselves in another market place. Although this one was more structured than the chaotic bazaar below.

"There are a lot more merchants here than I expected," Weiss commented, glancing at the obscene amount of tradesmen.

All around the party were either citizens going about their normal business or merchants peddling their goods. A few on occasion were dragging a wagon behind them.

Those who looked like regular citizens were merely peasants. Most seemed to be in decent health, but many seemed very poor when compared to the merchants. Dressed in rags with dirt coating their clothing.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, pulling a map from her pack. "It's the largest town south of the White Mountains and north of Vale."

"What else about it," Jaune asked, quizzing her.

Ruby had begun joining Jaune and Weiss in the library for their study sessions. The girl was quick to pick up new things with a little bit of reading. That was if you could get her to focus, which was not difficult most of the time. A glare from Weiss was enough to set her back on track.

Her being two years younger than most other heroes was most likely the reason why Ruby was behind on her studies. She may have been training longer than Jaune in combat, but studying was just as important. That was something you needed to spend more time on.

Although, Jaune still didn't know why she entered the Academy two years before most of the others had. Almost everyone else was around seventeen or bordering on eighteen years old. However, that was Ruby's business and Jaune's to speculate on. If she wanted to tell him, then she could do so when she felt that it was the right time.

"It's also a fortified city," she explained. "More merchants come here to trade because it is a safe place. There's also a bunch of people! So there should be more money."

"Yep," Jaune agreed. "It's a natural castle."

Vale was also a natural fortress. Surrounded on all sides by mountains and large rivers, making it challenging to begin a siege. The presence of an academy with the sole purpose of training warriors also made Vale a rather expensive item on the menu.

Any army would have to throw away lots of bodies and coin just to take cities such as Vale and Whiteshale.

"We could also see what these merchants are peddling," Weiss suggested, changing the topic before glancing at a trader's stand. "Goods here should be cheaper since we are no longer in the capital."

Weiss would have been correct to assume that. Taxes were a lot worse in Vale than in Bar. Jaune found that out when the price of a steel sword jumped up from a hundred Lien to nearly five-hundred Lien.

"Oooo, we should do that after we talk to... what's his face," Ruby said, having forgotten the name of the contractor.

"Colonel Balderich," Weiss reminded her politely.

Something that Jaune had noticed for some time now was how Weiss no longer snapped at him or Ruby. Except in some instances where one of the two messed up. Other than that, Weiss was quickly becoming more and more pleasant to be around.

"Yeah, him," Ruby replied to the Heiress.

"We'll probably find him in the keep," Jaune suggested. "I don't see the barracks anywhere around here, so we should try there first."

Jaune pulled out the quest parchment from his satchel.

 ** _By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all its holdings._**

 ** _Colonel Balderich of the Whiteshale garrison has petitioned the heroes of Vale for assistance. Recently, several traders and villagers have reported sightings of giant spiders in the area. The militia suspects there to be a nesting ground for the arachnids and is offering a sum of two thousand Lien for their extermination._**

"Yes," Weiss agreed. "Leaders of the local garrison will be close to the Lord, advising them on military affairs. He was most likely delegated with the task of finding adventurers to deal with it."

"So, the keep it is then..."

 **[Castle Keep]**

The gorge between the keep's tower and the one the rest of the market place rested on was nearly fifty feet across. Looking down into said chasm led to a roughly eighty-foot plummet to the ground below. Luckily there was a bridge made from stone and wood and not some rickety rope bridge they had to cross to get here.

Ruby hesitantly peeked over the edge, keeping most of her body away from it. "That's a big drop," she squeaked, pulling away from the cliff.

"No kidding," Jaune agreed, taking his own look.

He could see the bazaar underneath the overhang. Everyone down there just looked like small black blobs walking around. Jaune had to resist the temptation to hock a loogie down upon them.

"What do you think, Weiss," Jaune asked, getting no reply. "Weiss?" He turned around to see the Heiress standing several feet away from chasm. The look on her face suggested that she did not want anything to do with this.

"Are you afraid of heights," Ruby asked, playfully, suspicious, yet not mocking.

"NO," the Mage nearly shouted. "I just don't like that!" She pointed at the edge of the cliff.

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure," Ruby excitedly replied.

"Yeah, Weiss," Jaune teased.

Weiss glared at the two of them. "My sense of adventure ends when there is the potential to fall to my death," she angrily replied. "What if the whole cliffside broke off beneath our feet?!"

Being afraid of heights and not being able to swim. Weiss was turning out to be a bonified land-dweller at this rate.

"I don't think any of us weigh enough to break the rock," Jaune countered. "Maybe the edge if you jumped on it?" He stepped even closer to the edge.

"Please get away from there, both of you," Weiss begged, moving even further away from the cliffside. "It's making me anxious, just watching!"

Jaune stepped away from the edge, closer to Weiss. "Fine," he said in mock exasperation, slumping his shoulders. "You're no fun!"

"I will not deign to give you a response," Weiss replied, turning to the bridge. "We need to cease these childish acts and meet with the Colonel!" She began heading for the Keep, Jaune and Ruby followed behind her.

...

Finally crossing the bridge, Jaune, Ruby, and Weiss stood before the gates of the manor. It wasn't as much a manor as a palace, following the Baroque style of architecture. There had to be around a hundred or so rooms in this structure. Outside, lush gardens and fountains decorated the front and sides of the lawn. Going further, the entire compound was surrounded by a beautifully crafted wrought iron fence.

Jaune couldn't even begin to guess what the inside of the place looked like. He took back what he said about Samson's castle. In fact, the Knight's wealth didn't even compare to whoever owned this place.

"The Lord of this city is clearly arrogant and a terrible ruler," Weiss spat. Her tone almost sounded like she was disgusted.

"What makes you say that," Ruby confusedly asked. Both she and Jaune turned towards the Mage.

"Speaking from experience, Weiss," Jaune added on.

The Mage nodded to the Paladin.

"Any ruler who spends this much money on extravagant living quarters is more than likely neglecting affairs of state," she explained, gesturing with her hands. "Look at the people living down below and the houses in the residential area."

 _Easily thrown together wattle and daub huts. Many seemingly having nothing more than the clothes on their back. All the signs of those who lived in poverty._

"But most of them are barely scraping by," Jaune concluded. "I saw that when we were in the market place. Most of the people around here are paupers. The merchants and Lord keep all of the coin to themselves."

"I did too," Ruby agreed, turning to face the gate of the manor. "Then why are there no guards?"

The front gate to the palace was wide open. No soldiers in sight. Not even a fresh tobacco pipe someone could have been smoking out of.

"She's right," Weiss said. "We should be careful." The Mage started heading for the door. Jaune and Ruby followed behind. The former's hand firmly wrapped around his sword.

...

Jaune and Ruby pushed open the doors to the chateau. The thick white and blue doors gave way to the inside of the manor.

 _Empty as well. No surprise there._

All three of the heroes stepped inside, keeping the doors open behind them. None had any idea of what was going on; thus, an escape was needed just in case.

Jaune's eyes quickly darted around the foyer. The walls were in the same scene as the front door. A thick layer of blue and white paint coated them along with a healthy amount of gold leaf. On those walls were dozens of paintings of various size although many had been taken down and were being packaged.

"Why is nobody here," Ruby asked nervously. "Shouldn't there be a servant or someone to stop us."

Jaune had never been inside of a chateau before, but in Bar, there was always someone to greet citizens at the Lord's manor. The lack of anybody here to receive them was concerning.

"Because they were all sent away," a booming voice spoke up from the top of the stairs. It was deep, holding a thick, gruff tone.

Jaune and company turned to face the origin of the voice. It was a man. Older, maybe in his fifties. Greying hair cut short yet still full of volume. Combed to the side haphazardly. His face was wrinkled due to his age but remained muscular with a deep cheek gaunt. He wore a uniform in the Valish style. One that hugged his form, but was not very tight on him. A brown and blue shirt, jacket paired with leather pants and knee-high boots.

"Might I ask, do my guards allow anybody to wander inside the keep," he began, taking his first few steps down the stairs. "I'm sure the three of you would find yourselves right at home... in the castle dungeon for trespassing on a military stronghold?"

"Umm... there were no guards," Jaune spoke up. "We're heroes from Beacon Academy." He turned to face the man, sword in hand. Jaune was afraid this guy might actually toss them into the dungeon for walking right in.

"Of course there were no guards," the man sighed, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. "I do apologise for that." He adjusted his posture, standing straight up. "My name is Colonel Balderich with the Valish Army 2nd Infantry Division. I presume you are here for the Giant Spider Contract?"

The way this man spoke. It was not like a soldier or someone who was from this part of Vale. Balderich was from a higher class. Educated or at least from the nobility.

"Yes," Weiss took over the conversation. "We were hoping to discuss details of the contract... including where we may rest for the night."

He nodded to the Mage. "Right this way then," he gestured to another chamber. "We have a map laid out in the war room."

...

The room they were in now looked to be the study. Repurposed for other means, having a large map of the area laid out on a table. On the other side of the room, a desk covered in stacks of paper acted as the focal points of the furniture.

Balderich stood across from the three students planting his hands down on the war map. "I never got your names," he stated.

Jaune stepped out in front. "Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, and Ruby Rose," he replied, going middle, left, then right.

The older man nodded to the three. "I see," he said softly. "Then, we should begin." He grabbed a small flag and planted it inside of a forested area. "Recently, we have noticed there was an increased presence of Giant Spiders. While this wouldn't be an issue normally as they are less dangerous than Goblins. They have begun attack passing merchants and pilgrims heading to and from the town. Several girls have gone missing as well, with traces of spider activity in the area they were in." He laid several other pieces out on the map. "As you have probably figured out... this city is a trading hub as well as the last stopping point for pilgrims heading to the White Mountains. And with the roads becoming more dangerous, trade has suffered. "

The roads around this city are the veins that pump lifeblood in and out of the area. Cutting off or stifling the flow of the coin and goods would cause issues for a town reliant on trade. Jaune could see how a few spiders may have been causing problems, but there was one other thing bothering him.

"Why hasn't the military or the town guard taken care of this," Jaune interrupted politely. He wasn't trying to offend the man by saying he couldn't do his job. It was an honest question. "If spiders are not an issue, then something else is."

Balderich nodded, taking a deep breath in. "Last week, my men and I hung the nobleman overseeing this territory," he explained, standing up straight.

"I knew it," Weiss mumbled.

"He had dealings with the local bandit clans," he continued, ignoring the Heiress. "Taking cuts of their plunder in exchange for impunity. I used to serve under him as his military commander. When I learned of this... I presented my findings to the King and was given the order to string him up outside the town square. Since then, I have recruited most of the town guard to hunt those bandits. Which led to us being stretched thin and allowed those spiders to take up nesting. Leading to me having to send a letter out to call for a professional."

Weiss was correct it seemed. Jaune had to ask how she knew this. There was probably a story behind it.

"At least you stopped him," Ruby spoke up finally. The other members of her party turned to her. "If he kept taking money from the bandits and letting them rob the people, there could have been a revolt."

Ruby was correct about that. Nobles that only care about coin flowing in and not giving a damn about their people always led to that. Full-scale rebellions or assassinations would quickly follow one another until a stable government could be put together.

Jaune had read about something like that happening. The entire noble class of the city was sent to the guillotine for it.

"Thank you," he replied before anything else could be spoken. "Many of the tradesmen gave me grief about it. They were receiving tax exemptions from the noble, but that was stopped when the military took over." He shrugged his shoulders. "However, that is for me to worry about. You adventurers have your own job to do. I can have one of the scribes draw up a map for you by tomorrow. Is that alright with you?"

"That is fine," Weiss agreed immediately. "We were planning on picking up some things from the market place anyway. But what about sleeping arrangments? An inn that we could rent a room from?"

"Ah, yes," Balderich said loudly. "There is an inn... that the military had acquired a few days ago. The kitchen burned out some time ago and went out of business, but there should be an empty room I can reserve for the three of you. For food, most people that can afford it go to the Black Friar. You adventurers should have no problem."

 _Yeah, I'm kind of broke..._

Jaune had given up or spent the last of his Lien. He had a few coins to his name, but that was only going to get him a small cut of dried goat. If he opened up his coin purse, it was likely that a ball of lint would come tumbling out of there instead of coin.

 **[Market Place]**

Jaune wandered through the marketplace aimlessly. He, Ruby, and Weiss had decided to split up so they could find whatever they needed. Jaune, however, didn't want to buy or, more accurately, need to buy anything right now.

There was no worry about having to pay for dinner. Jaune covered their last meal since he seemed to have the most Lien on him all the time from his first dungeon run. It didn't feel right to have Ruby; who was always the one scraping by, pay for meals. He and Weiss alternated between buying meals. Now, Jaune could just mooch off of Ruby or Weiss this time.

He looked down at a weapons stand, perusing this merchant's wares. A few lovely items here and there. A black and silver mace caught his eye, but from the look of it, the price seemed a little high.

This brought Jaune back to when he first arrived in Vale. Everything was so expensive. That and he was broke once again, which was his fault. So, really, nothing had changed over the last two months.

Pulling himself away from the weapons, Jaune turned to face the crowds. Now that he was down here and could get a good look around, it became quite apparent how bad things were.

The people weren't just poor. They were living in squalor. Waste littered the streets ranging from human waste to dead animals. Beggars lined the sidewalks. Men, women, and children all seemed to be the victims.

The disparity in living conditions flowed downwards as did the waste. Merchants and the town's noblemen lived in great-beautiful houses while others lived in what would barely qualify as huts. Those who had homes were far better off than those who had to live out on the streets.

Even in Vale, things were not as bad. Jaune hadn't seen much out in the open unlike here in Whiteshale. However, he had expected to see more in the capital city. They must have been better at hiding it.

Jaune turned away from the disgusting sight. It sickened him to see people having to live like this, but there was little he could do about it. He was only one man without any resources to make a change.

 _I need to get out of here..._

As he turned back towards the market place, Jaune caught a glimpse of Weiss. She was looking at something. Another stand with a merchant behind it trying to sell her something.

 _I wonder what she's looking at._

He approached, curious as to what she was searching for. As he grew closer, Jaune realised Weiss was looking at jewellery. Dozens of golden or silver pieces each held their own place in the menagerie. Furthermore, the variety of jewels was even greater.

This sight was a significant contrast to the state of Whiteshale. The market place and streets of the city were the antitheses of each other. A town that was disgusting on one hand yet beautiful, pristine, and gleaming on the other. Guess which side people tried to pay attention to?

He stepped up to Weiss' flank. The girl seemed to be distracted as she examined the baubles. Jaune doubted she even knew he snuck up on her. He had seen that spaced-out look she held when focusing on something.

"Looking to add to the collection," Jaune asked, bending slightly to look at a necklace. The golden pendant shimmered in the bright light. On the end of the chain, there was a small ruby that almost glowed.

Jaune figured that since she was a princess, she ought to have a substantial pile of jewellery laying around. He had only seen Weiss wearing the small pendant around her neck and those square earrings. Not to mention the tiara that she always wore.

Weiss shot a quick glance at him. "Maybe," she answered. "I was studying the differences between Atlesian and Valish jewellery. Not that you would know."

"Ow," Jaune uttered, rubbing his chest lightly. "Way to drive the dagger deeper, Weiss." He sounded sarcastic to himself, which is what he had been going for.

She was correct. Jaune didn't know the first thing about Atlesian jewellery or jewellery in general. The only piece of jewellery he owned was given to him by his grandmother. A small golden ring.

Which Jaune realised he forgot it back home.

"I did not suggest you were uncultured," Weiss backpedalled, sounding almost embarrassed. "Although that may be the appropriate term to use at times. But, you clearly don't fixate on jewellery as much as you do weapons and armour."

"Ok."

 _She has a point._

"Atlesian jewellers prefer more intricate and delicate pieces," she explained, pulling out her necklace. The small silver chain twinkling in the light. "Valish jewellery is often more robust and uses more material." She backed away from the stand with Jaune following. "But I was looking for something with an enchantment on it, and didn't see anything I liked."

"Why do you want to buy something with an enchantment," Jaune asked. Then realising it was a dumb question he quickly thought of something else. "I figured you might already have a lot of those... with you being a princess and all."

"I do," she replied casually. "However, I wished to leave those at home." She ended her reasoning as to why. Jaune wasn't going to push. It was her decision, after all.

"I see..."

"And while there are a few pieces that had decent enchantments," Weiss continued. Her speech coming out quicker than usual. "I did not wish to purchase anything from the merchants of this city. Especially after what I saw in the streets." Her tone grew angrier. Almost spitting the words out.

"You saw all of that too," Jaune asked apprehensively, rubbing the back of his head.

The images of the beggars came to the forefront of his mind. Many looked too sick or weak to even attempt working. The children were the worst out of all of them. They resembled skeletons more than people.

Those images spoiled Jaune's good mood. He was angry for them. That they had to live like animals. Those were people that had been cast aside by those who had the coin to do something about it.

"Of course I did," she nearly shouted. "A blind man could have seen the state this city is in! Or at least smelt it!" Weiss brought her arm up towards her nose, shielding it from the stench. "I hope Balderich can do something about it. These people deserve better."

That was something both could agree on.

 **[Tavern: Night]**

Jaune watched the tavern-goers from the sideline. It was like his first night back in Westberg all over again. Before he...

 _Let's not think about that!_

Jaune purged the thought. He didn't want to bring up those feelings again. Until recently, it had been all negative emotions. Jaune needed to lighten up a bit more.

He turned to see Ruby yapping about something to Weiss. The Mage did seem to be trying her best to listen to the other girl. Although Jaune hadn't the first clue as to what she was talking about. To him, Weiss' almost seemed bored with the conversation.

Jaune took another sip of his drink. This was his third tankard of beer in about an hour. It was enough to give him a buzz, but not enough to get him tossed. Something to wipe what he had seen in the marketplace out of his mind.

He and Weiss found Ruby spending her Lien to buy bread for some kids earlier. Jaune would have applauded her for it had his mood not been so sour lately. In comparison, Ruby's always so chipper mood hadn't even begun to falter.

Combined with her good nature, buying starving kids bread. Ruby was hero material through and through. She was someone people could really look up to. Better than himself.

The best Jaune could do was to drink himself stupid tonight, and then take care of those spiders in the morning. That would get the pressure off the town guard and let them worry about aid instead of carnivorous mega-fauna. Then he could use his reward for somethi-

"Jaune," the mousey voice of Ruby spoke up, bringing him out of thoughts. Both she and Weiss were staring directly at him. Jaune had no clue for how long though.

"Yeah," he answered, trying to sober up enough to form a proper sentence.

"Oh, you looked like you spaced out for a second," Ruby continued, turning her body towards him. "I wanted to ask... what is Bar like?"

The question came as a bit of a surprise to him. They never bothered to ask about his home before.

"You do mention it at times," Weiss commented. "But never in detail. Only speaking of this, 'Count.'"

Jaune snorted, taking another swig. "Bar... it's nice," he tried his best to explain it to them.

Nice didn't even begin to describe the city. For the longest time, it was the only place he ever knew. That all changed after Jaune made his decision.

"Do they have a castle," Ruby excitedly asked. Jaune wasn't sure about her fascination with about castles, but he would entertain the question nonetheless.

"Well... it..." Jaune's words trailed away as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

A group of four men sat at a table on the opposite side of the room. They were positioned right in the middle of the tavern. Their laughing and banter could be heard from across the way easily.

Their leader was a short and very stout man, bearing a buzz cut for hair. His face resembled that of a pig's, frankly. He was just too goddamned ugly for anybody but his mother to love.

The others. A short man built like a twig, sucking down a tankard of ale. Two taller men that looked relatively normal. One with long hair and the build of a brick wall. The final had curly hair and a thick moustache to boot.

"So I says to him," the leader began, taking a swig. His drunken slur made his boorishly thick accent even thicker. "You cannot expect me to work without pay!" The man raised his right hand while explaining. "The fucker hired me to muscle goods out the hands of these merchants! And when the fucking military trotted through, he turned tail and ran."

"You got cheated," the tall one spoke up.

"Yeah, that's right," the leader agreed. "I didn't even get one copper for my trouble." He slammed his tankard down onto the table. "And if that wasn't bad enough, the fucking military raised taxes on everything! How am I supposed to buy food now?! I've got these tabs to worry about on top of it!"

"Leave town," the moustached one said. His accent was much more refined. Deeper yet nowhere nearly as boorish. "Head south... there's more gold flowing in from the southern border."

"Aye," the leader raised his voice. "There's nothing a new city can't cure!" He downed the rest of his ale. "Another round for me and my mates!"

"Coming," a barmaid shouted in reply. The fox-faunus started heading their way. Her burnt orange hair swayed from side to side as she navigated the tavern. A cheerful smile reminiscent of Velvet's or Ruby's was the centrepiece.

She stopped at their table with a platter carrying multiple tankards or flagons aboard. The latter of which was used to top their drinks off. Just as she finished filling them, one of the men reached for her arm.

"Well-well-well," the leader growled suggestively, grabbing her arm hard. "What do we have here?"

"U-Um," the girl stuttered, wincing at the pressure of the man's grip. The lower half of her arm started turning red as blood pooled there with no way to return. Her face was frozen in fear; not able to anything else but stare back at the man.

Jaune's blood started to boil, slowly tightening a knot in his stomach to an excruciating degree. The pain made him feel as though he wanted to pass out, but he didn't. His hands started shaking mildly in coincidence with the flurry of emotions and anger running through his veins.

Nobody else was doing anything to stop this! There were dozens of people sitting around this table, and they all looked the other way! They chose to willingly ignore a person in need when they could have done something about it.

"What is a beauty like you doing here," he asked in a sultry tone of voice, licking his lips. "My mates and I can keep you company. What say you? Shall we quit this place and find a nice quiet spot in the forest?" His other free hand reach down to grope her, causing the girl to flinch at the second touch.

Jaune's lips pulled back, baring his teeth. That knot in his stomach snapped, letting his emotions spill over. The sound of his heart beating deafened the room around him.

"Jaune," Ruby squeaked as she looked up at him.

"Stay here," he ordered, growling the words before looking down at the girls. " _Both_ of you."

He stood up, pushing his chair away from him. The alcohol in his veins served as the fuel for his actions, destroying the thin vale his emotions had hidden behind. Every smidgeon of anger threw themselves from the depths where Jaune had long since cast them, surfacing at the forefront of his mind.

He slowly shuffled over to their table, forcefully pushing past any others around him. Jaune's eyes focused solely on that fat piece of shit's face. Those buck-teeth hanging between his fat nose and double chin.

His only thought was to break it.

His footsteps quickened to close the gap between him and the other man. Before they even realised Jaune's presence, he raised his right foot up and stomp-kicked the bandit in the face. The sound of his boot-clad foot turning the bandit's nose into shattered glass silenced the tavern.

The bandit tumbled from the chair he sat in with a muffled scream, gripping his face as blood spilt from his broken nose and mouth. He let go of the girl simultaneously, allowing her to scurry off to safety.

Jaune pressed on, kicking the bandit's hands away before pressing his boot against the man's cheek. He ground the leather sole side to side, eliciting more pained cries from the bandit.

"How does it feel," Jaune shouted at the bandit. Small drops of saliva flew from his mouth with every word. "You can't pick on girls when you're tasting the shit on my boot!"

Jaune didn't care if he looked like the bad guy to everyone around him. He didn't care about what Ruby and Weiss thought of him. The red mist had taken its hold.

Before he could go further, a massive fist clocked Jaune square in the jaw, sending him reeling from the blow. It threw him away from the bandit leader and into another table. Jaune caught his footing as he crashed into it, knocking over the contents of the various vessels resting atop.

Jaune tasted blood in his mouth. That repulsive metallic bitterness washed over his tongue, trickling out, over his lip, and down onto his chin.

He wiped the blood away, leaving a streak of the gore to stain his shirt. But Jaune didn't care. He couldn't feel any of this. There was no pain. Only rage.

"You little fuckin' SHITE," the leader snarled angrily. His mates heaved him off the ground and onto his feet. "Yer gonna pay for that one!"

"Let's see it then," Jaune taunted in reply, holding out his arms. "I'm not some merchant you can just push around!"

 **[Steel For Humans]**

He entered the orthodox boxing stance. Jaune put his right hand up to his cheek, raising his left to shield his face. Both feet remained wide and planted with the left one forward exposing the weaker side of his body.

The tavern-goers surrounded the five men. Many cheered for no reason at all. Only encouraging the brawl between then fighters. Ruby and Weiss stood off to the side as well, watching in anticipation.

The bandit leader lunged forward with a haymaker. The right hand came in fast and from his left side. Jaune swatted it away with his left hand in the first direction of motion before the fist could even reach him, causing the bandit to stumble.

 _Too slow..._

Jaune seized the opportunity to get a hit in, tripping the man with his right foot. The bandit's overcompensation for the right hook threw him completely off balance and tumbling down onto his stomach.

Just as Jaune turned back to his other opponents, another fist landed right on his cheek, throwing him back just like before. He planted his feet firmly, catching himself before he was sent to the floor. Jaune quickly reentered his stance just as the moustached man and the small one made their rush.

 _Come on..._

Jaune sidestepped the second blow easily. He reached around to give a forceful push to the man's back, sending him unceremoniously tumbling to the ground. The moustached bandit fell atop the already one man pile forming in the middle of the tavern.

The small man threw a left hook that Jaune ducked under, grabbing the man's head and pulling it down onto his knee. He thrust his leg upwards at the same time to break the man's nose. Blood spilt out from their meeting point as he exhaled with a pain cry.

Casting him aside, Jaune was caught off-guard with another right hook. The blow dazed Jaune enough that he needed a moment to recover. A massive indentation where the knuckles met his cheek remained.

Jaune looked up to see the giant of a man glaring down at him. A great big smile stretched from ear to ear. The giant cocked back his right fist again, launching it straight towards his face.

 _Oh, shit..._

The punch landed dead centre in the middle of his brow. The force behind it sent Jaune falling onto his back. He quickly scampered to his feet just in time for the others to stand.

He was now faced with four very pissed looking bandits. Each probably wanted nothing more than to kick the shit of him and leave Jaune in the gutter to drown in his own blood.

That left Jaune with one solution. Escalate the violence.

The small one rushed forward again, his nose spilling blood out like a fountain. He threw a right hook that landed on Jaune's cheek. He took it willingly, catching the man's arm at the same time.

Jaune seized his forearm with one hand like a vice grip. The other placed right on the man's elbow. With one swift motion, Jaune snapped the limp like a twig. The arm bent itself in the opposite direction it should have, hanging like a piece of cloth in the wind.

The blood-curdling scream that erupted from the man-caused many in the crowd to gasp loudly at it. Some shielded themselves from the sight. Another vomited. Yet, they all watched this as some form of barbaric entertainment.

Jaune tossed the man aside, letting him writhe in pain. He turned to the other men with an imposing glare. His lips pulled back and into a toothy grin.

"Come on," Jaune let out a deep growl, entering his boxing stance.

Next up was the moustached man. He threw one poorly made left hook before following it up with a right. Jaune swiftly avoided both jabs, cocking his head just before they could hit their mark.

He returned the favour with a jab from his right hand, breaking the man's nose. Jaune followed up with a knee to the gut, knocking the wind out of the bandit.

He clamped his hand down over the man's face. The Paladin's fingers held a firm grip on the bandit's cheeks as he dragged him over to a nearby table. Twirling himself, Jaune threw the bandit into the furniture, slamming the man's head through the wooden boards.

The table surrendered underneath the weight of the man's head, and the intensity Jaune threw him with. All leaving the man in a bloody mess of broken teeth and wooden splinters.

Jaune was about to turn back to the others before what felt like a chair crashed into his back. The furniture, like the table, fell into pieces as it gave way.

 _Ah, fuck!_

This time, Jaune was on the floor.

The two bandits glared down at him. One was holding another chair while the other was empty-handed. The fat one must have used the other chair on Jaune. He was standing there, cracking his knuckles while his bandit friend smiled gleefully.

Raising the second chair, the giant looked about ready to bring it down on Jaune's head. The Paladin reacted quickly, grabbing a piece of the chair leg and threw it at the bandit. It flew through the air like a throwing knife, hitting the giant right on the forehead.

Jaune threw himself to his feet, rushing the tall one. He charged with his shoulder first straight into the man's gut, knocking him off balance and down on the ground.

A fist came from the side, the fat one decided to make his move. Jaune slapped it away with his right hand. Sidestepping, he cocked his leg back and stomped on the side of the bandit's knee.

The bone snapped and dislocated immediately. With the sudden loss of a limb, the bandit collapsed down onto the floor. He lay there, screaming as he clutched the broken leg.

Jaune turned to the last bandit. The big one was pushing himself off the ground, attempting to get back into the fight. In two steps, Jaune drew his leg back and kicked the man with the toe of his boot, knocking him out instantly.

Jaune spat out some blood. He stood there above the writhing figures at his feet, breathing heavily. Both fists remained balled as the adrenaline still surged through his veins. His face covered in more of their blood than his own.

A hand grabbed his, pulling him in the direction of the door. Jaune's could make out two figures dragging him out of the tavern.

"I hope you all bleed out," Jaune shouted as he was being dragged from the tavern. "Through your **_ARSES_**!"

* * *

 **Longest fight I have ever written! Bitch was a total of twelve hundred words. But I think I did a good job. I'm a bit rusty on action scenes. However, I think it was solid.**

 **We'll pick it up in two weeks when Jaune wakes up with one hell of a hangover. And Weiss smacking him, yelling, "BAKA!"**

* * *

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

 **Level Nineteen**

 **Strength 36 (+2)**

 **Agility 19 (+1)**

 **Defence 25 (+1)**

 **Perception 29 (+1)**

 **Constitution 35 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 43 (+1)**

 **Charisma 23 (+1)**

 **Willpower 16 (+1)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Passive: Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	20. Act Two: Chapter Three

**Short chapter today people!**

 **I have to head back to parent's house and pick some stuff up that I left there. So, I won't be making my usual 8K words chapter. Unfortunate, I know...**

 **But, that makes the pace slow down a bit. Which is what I was looking to do for the next few chapters. A lot is going to happen after Jaune and his party return to Beacon.**

 **That said, college is not as bad as it was last year. I've got microbiology and organic chem to run a train on me this time. I also have to take Drawing 1 because I need that one fine arts credit because we have to be cultured individuals who partake in the arts apparently.**

 **Am I not a man of culture already?!**

 **As for my plans with this Arc, Jaune is going to be put through some shit. Right now he is vulnerable emotionally, which makes it a prime time to take advantage of that. Even if it a minor wound on his emotional self, any more can and will lead to a change in his personality.**

 **I'm not going to put him through the Subaru Experience for those of you who know what that means, but something similar. (Re:Zero. Go watch it. It's good for the heart and soul. So is Boku No Pico.) (Don't watch the latter of the two, I'm joking. I've never seen it, but I've heard it will scar you for life.)**

* * *

 **Edit Note (2/6/20) Not much done to this chapter. I deleted a paragraph or two to remove unnecessary stuff, so you shouldn't miss anything.**

* * *

Jaune awoke to the cacophony of boots clicking against a wooden floor. It was coming from the hallway outside of the room, and whoever was making it, idled right there. Their armour shook with every movement or jerk of their bodies, amplifying the sounds bleeding in from outside. Yet, none of the soldiers moved, choosing to have their conversation just outside the door.

 _Really... Why so early?!_

It didn't help that Jaune was a light sleeper, so whatever little sounds or bumps in the night happened by, he would wake up promptly afterwards.

Regardless, Jaune could see that it was now dawn and, thusly, would not be able to go back to bed for another sweet-sweet five minutes of nirvana. Which he then realised that he was actually sleeping in the bed inside the room, he, Weiss, and Ruby shared. However, the series of events leading up to him, ending up sleeping in the bed was a mystery.

Typically, Jaune let the girls sleep in the bed. Mainly because he was not a dick and wouldn't force them to sleep on the ground. It would also be uncomfortable since he was not dating any of the girls he worked with.

But how did he get here?

Jaune sat up in the bed, inching himself closer to the edge, so his legs hung over the side. A deep yawn crept past his lips as he stretched his arms upwards. Soon after, a series of pops served as a reward for his troubles.

He reached to wipe the sleep out of his face with his right hand. As Jaune began moulding the soft tissue, he could feel his nerves and muscles scream at him to stop. This soreness was sudden yet only aggravated by physical contact to the point of burning pain.

 _What happened to my face?_

Jaune couldn't remember much from last night. Something must have happened. However, seeing the condition of his face was the priority in this instance. If it interfered with his performance during the quest, then that was going to be a problem.

 _I need to find a mirror._

He looked around the room for one. Jaune hadn't spent much time here before he and his party left for the market, so he might have overlooked there being a mirror in here. Turning left, Jaune looked towards the front of the room, finding nothing except Ruby's bags.

The wall in front of him was devoid of any form of decoration, aside from the table carrying Weiss and Jaune's backs pressed against it. There wasn't anything on this side of the room, and Jaune wasn't going to rummage through anyone's bags to find a mirror. He was going to turn around to look behind him; however, he spotted something sitting next to the nightstand.

A foot away from the cupboards sat a small hand mirror one would have used for putting on make-up. Maybe it was Weiss'? The girl did wear some despite her seriously not needing to, Jaune had seen her applying a few dabs of colour during one of their recent quests. He doubted it was Ruby's either since she didn't seem to be interested in that sort of stuff. Not that she was immature or anything, Jaune surmised it to be a general lack of enthusiasm in the subject matter. Regardless, Jaune picked up the mirror and peered at himself through the looking glass.

'Ughh,' Jaune hissing inside his head, staring at his reflection.

His cheeks were rightly bruised from what looked to be several punches. Black and blue splotches puffed out from within the soft tissue. Several along the jawline with another high up on his left cheekbone. The one on his cheek still had the shape of the knuckles painted on the tissue. The others were just shapeless blobs.

However, they didn't seem too severe. Almost all of the bruises appeared to be healing already. That must have been due to Jaune's constitution. But where did these come from?

Going off of the evidence before him, Jaune knew he had been in a fight. There was nothing else to suggest an alternative to that theory. It was probable but unlikely that he had done anything reckless to injure himself. However, why was his face the only part of him bruised up? So, Jaune was going with the former of the two ideas, yet he still needed to determine what transpired the night before.

Jaune took a deep breath in as he sifted through his memories. There were bits and pieces he could easily recall, such as him ordering drinks from the bar-maid. He specifically remembered she had a pretty smile and jovial attitude that night. After that, Jaune had tried to drink himself stupid to get everything he had seen yesterday out of his head. The rest, as Jaune focused, seemed to blur together. Except for a few other things.

'Well-well-well...'

Those words were most explicit in his recent memory. Jaune remembered how he felt after hearing them. Angry was the simplest of terms to describe it, and furious would have done said feeling more justice.

A face did appear in his memory alongside the line. Not the pretty Fox-Faunus who served him drinks yesterday, but a human male's. His features were similar to a pig's or a short-muzzled dog.

 _So, that's what happened..._

Jaune remembered what he did to that man. It didn't take long, playing his memory back, to figure out that he stomped on his face for harassing the bar-maid. Then Jaune went after his friends when they joined in. Some of the details were fuzzy, but he knew the gist of it.

A part of him was afraid for when Weiss and Ruby woke up. Jaune didn't know how they would react or think about him after this. He only hoped that it didn't hurt their friendship in any way. The Paladin wasn't exactly himself yesterday, and he didn't want to lose them after working so hard to get this far.

Jaune shook his head. 'It's best not to think about it,' he said to himself. 'I'll cross that road when I get there...'

He moved to stand up so he could get his clothes on and wake his party. As he did so, Jaune heard a terse rustle come from behind him followed by a groan.

A quick glance behind him revealed who that other person had been. It wasn't Ruby, but Weiss.

His former crush was a foot or two away from where he had been sleeping. Weiss was now facing him, having just rolled over onto her right side. Her hair was splayed out, undone, and in a complete mess; strands of her platinum colour locks covering her face, eyes and even some in her mouth. Each of her limbs was stretched out in all manner of positions with one of her legs having fallen off the bed, the others were merely taking up whatever space they wished like a four-limbed starfish.

While Weiss was a stunningly beautiful young woman, how she slept did not illustrate such. His party member was not a pretty sleeper. It contradicted everything the Mage was.

Jaune stared at the girl who had shared the bed with him for several moments. There was no panic, no rush of hormones, and no rising heat filling his cheeks at seeing where his former crush had been sleeping. All he could feel was some manner of irritation at this.

It felt like the powers that be were teasing him. He was so close to what had been the girl of his dreams and yet so far away. It was some sort of cruel joke being played against him, and Jaune was merely on the receiving end of it. Like anytime he was screwed with by Cardin and any of his lackeys, or when people spoke about him behind his back as he passed through the halls of Beacon.

Yet it did not feel right for him to be angry at this. Ruby and Weiss had probably carried him back to the room and just dropped him there so he could recover for the night. Ruby herself was laying on her sleeping bag on the other side of the bed at the moment, concluding that she had let Weiss use the bed.

Said bedding was large enough for two people to share comfortably with some added space. Ruby and Weiss had always shared a bed, yet never 'slept' together. This was merely the same case for Jaune and Weiss due to the circumstances.

Weiss herself was using another blanket and looked like she had tried her best to create a barrier between herself and Jaune using pillows. She didn't want a repeat of what happened a few weeks ago. It would have been just as embarrassing for her as it would have for Jaune.

Logically, Jaune concluded these were the circumstances to this scenario, but the heart did not think in a rational manner. It thought with feelings and such that when Weiss had been sleeping next to him - it had taken that as something romantic. Jaune was stuck like this despite giving up on his feelings. It was merely his penance for letting it go this far, to begin with.

It wasn't like he had no feelings for the girl. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jaune didn't kid himself in that regard. He knew how he felt about Weiss, but tried to bury it and in doing that, move on from her.

But this wasn't the time to be thinking. Jaune had to leave this miserable place and focus on what came next. Nothing else mattered.

He turned around and faced away from Weiss. Jaune was still wearing his clothes from yesterday. Neither of the girls deemed it necessary to strip him of the soiled articles, which Jaune expected. He hadn't exactly fallen through a frozen lake, and he didn't have any severe wounds that needed tending to.

Jaune's shirt and trousers were 'dirty.' Meaning that both were covered in blood, some of it not his, and sweat. The usual as a little bit of grime did not count as such.

He reached for the hem of his shirt when all of a sudden, he stopped. Why did he? It wasn't like he would not be getting filthy by the end of the day. He was going to be knee-deep in hemolymph after all. Why waste another good shirt when Jaune could use the one he was wearing? He wasn't trying to impress anybody.

His fingers let the cloth fall freely back to his waist. Jaune found his gear laying near the foot of his bed and quickly strapped it to himself. Double-checking and triple-checking his kit revealed no deformities. Everything was where it needed to be.

Now for the fun part.

"Weiss, Ruby," Jaune called out loudly.

It was almost six-thirty now, and everyone needed to wake up. They had a nearly ten-mile trek ahead of them today.

His speech was loud enough to stir both girls. Ruby rose from the floor like a corpse rising from within a coffin, sitting straight up. She had a tired look on her face, which was abnormal as she almost always woke up with a cheerful attitude. Weiss was a bit more graceful as she pushed herself up from the bed. The Mage rubbed her eyes, letting out a slight yawn as she did so.

"I'm never sleeping on the floor again," Ruby grumbled as she stood up, grabbing some clothes off the floor.

Jaune understood her pain. It was nice not being the one who had to take the floor this time. A welcome if, unexpected, change that would only last one day.

"You can blame Jaune for that, Ruby," Weiss replied to her friend. She then turned to Jaune and gave him a stern look. "Had he not played the knight in shining armour, you wouldn't have had this issue."

It sounded like Weiss wasn't pleased with what happened. Although it was hard to tell with her to begin with, so Jaune couldn't really know. However, Ruby just didn't seem to care.

"Is that a bad thing," Jaune said cautiously. He really hoped they weren't angry with him. He just lost control of his emotions.

"Nah," Ruby declared, shaking her head. "My Dad and Uncle used to beat guys like that up all the time, so I get it. I'm glad you helped her too, she was super nice!" She pulled up her trousers, strapping the belt to her waist. "I gotta be honest though, you were really scary walking over to them! Kind of like Yang when she gets angry..."

 _So that's what Yang feels like when she gets pissed..._

Jaune hadn't really known until now, and yet he never wanted to feel like that again. How Yang was able to deal with losing control like that during her fights and at randoms times was amazing. Jaune couldn't imagine it.

"I agree," Weiss spoke up, having fully dressed with only her hair still being undone. "You startled both of us when you left the table. Even I didn't know what was happening until after you stomped on that vagabond's face. Yet I will admit that what you did was appropriate." Weiss' tone turned more neutral than it was previously, flashing Jaune a light smile.

He scared them, but it didn't seem like he lost any of their favours. Jaune was glad for that. Both girls agreeing with how he acted was the best part. Yet a piece of him felt as though he was still in the wrong here.

"Well," Jaune started, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about scaring you guys... I'll try not to let it happen again."

Weiss stepped forward. Her attitude faltered to being slightly nervous this time. "No-no," she began, waving her hands in front of her. "We were not expecting you to apologise. It, 'surprised,' us when you left the table like you did. You are generally more passive than that."

"I see..."

 _So, I'm passive?_

"Aside from that," Weiss continued without pause. "How are you feeling?"

He wasn't sure how to feel. After everything the last few weeks, Jaune's emotions were a mess. That was putting it lightly. Last night was only another branch that had been thrown into his machine. Yet Jaune wasn't going to push his luck and hand out a half-truth again. Weiss or Ruby might have seen through it this time if he tried to lie.

"Um... I don't really know," he answered honestly. "I was angry yesterday, but now that I've had some time to cool down, I'm okay I guess... My face still hurts, though." He let out a short chuckle at the last part. It came off as being more nervous than genuine as he had hoped.

Weiss nodded and let out a light hum. "At least you are feeling better," she said straightforwardly. "We did use some healing salve on your cheeks before they could become swollen. You may thank Ruby for that."

"Yeah," Ruby spoke up. "Your face was blowing up like this," she puffed air into her cheeks demonstrating what happened, sticking her tongue out as she did so," and we couldn't go on the quest if your face was like that! So Weiss rubbed a bunch of that stuff on your face!" She let out a nervous giggle. "I thought it was funny, but she didn't."

Weiss facepalmed and groaned loudly. "Ruby," she growled. "Why would I think any of that was 'funny?' It was a medical procedure!"

"Because it's happened like..." Ruby counted her fingers, muttering to herself, "four times so far!" She paused for a moment. "Plus you made a really weird face when you were-" Weiss slapped a hand over her mouth stopping Ruby from talking. Yet, she continued to mumble through her hand.

"It was probably funny, Weiss," Jaune sided with Ruby on this.

Having been injured enough times for foolish mistakes or taking risks, one of his team members would have made jokes about it eventually. Not in the moment, of course, but looking back on what happened. It would have made for a good laugh, especially if Yang was around.

Ruby pulled Weiss' hand away from her mouth. "Don't worry," she said to Weiss. "If Jaune keeps going after all of Remnant's meanies, then you won't have to keep patching him up! All three of us will be so good at fighting them, we won't let each other get hurt!"

Had someone not heard the last part of Ruby's statement, you could have interpreted it as being very dark. There was a risk with Jaune getting into random fights and punching above his weight like he was. Ruby might not have thought about in that. The girl seemed too innocent in that regard. But the logic was sound in hindsight.

"Fine, I guess you're both correct," Weiss sighed loudly, heading over to her bags.

"Then let's get a move on," Ruby loudly followed up. "Spiders await us!"

 **[Outside of Tavern]**

Even with Ruby's insistence upon getting up and leaving town, she forgot something. Thusly, the third member of the trio had to run back inside to grab it. This left Weiss and Jaune to stand outside, waiting for the girl.

Silence hung in the air between the Mage and the Paladin for a few minutes as Ruby vanished inside. It wasn't unusual for this to happen. Even though they worked together on most days, small talk was not their forte. Which generally led to an uncomfortable stillness such as this.

Weiss, twidling her thumbs, looked over at Jaune. "Are you sure you're all right," she asked in more of a timid voice, breaking the silence.

Jaune had barely even registered the question as it came so abruptly. It wasn't like Weiss to really repeat herself. However, she may have been asking him again to be sure, they were working together after all. With Ruby being gone, it would have been more comfortable for the two of them to just talk.

"Uh yeah, I'm fine, really," Jaune answered briefly. "I just don't remember a lot from the fight yesterday, Weiss. It's pretty hazy."

He could see small clips of what happened, but most of it was just those blurred images. Jaune's brain just knew what went on through some means he couldn't understand, however. Most of his memory remained intact just before the first punch landed, albeit with the taint of an ale with high alcohol content.

"You did have a lot to drink yesterday," she mentioned in more of a playful tone. "I would be surprised if you remembered everything from yesterday. Especially, considering how many times you were hit in the face."

"Yeah, I guess you're correct," Jaune agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "You do know why I was drinking so much, right?"

Weiss nodded lightly in response.

"I was upset with everything I saw yesterday," he continued, plainly, after a moment. "I thought if I could get drunk enough to sleep through the night, I would just forget everything! I didn't want to feel like crap the whole night because of it. Then when I saw what they were doing to that girl, I-I just lost it!" His emotions rose at that moment, growing angry enough for it to be noticed. "You get it?!" Jaune ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily before leaning against the front of the building.

"Yes, I do," Weiss replied. "And as I said before, your reaction was appropriate albeit more violent than I was expecting."

How Jaune reacted was a surprise to himself. He rarely went to those lengths even during matches in Professor Goodwitch's class. Only against monsters, which was close enough in this case.

Yet with how Weiss spoke during this conversation, it sounded as if she was letting him vent. Her tone indicated that much with how she sided with him. Using logic and pleasing words was working for her as well.

"What were you expecting," he asked curiously, trying to jump to another subject. It was an honest question, not something out of spite or anger.

"For you to stand up to them," Weiss explained, gesturing with her right hand. "Using simple diplomacy or embarrassing them by calling it out, of course. Except I forgot that Vale and Atlas are very different places. In Atlas, one's honour and name would be ruined by such disgusting acts, where they would be stripped of their names and thrown into the wilds. However, Vale is not as formal in their punishments."

Jaune snorted, "Yeah, what happened yesterday was pretty much justice in Vale," he continued her thought. "Places like Westburg will just put you in the pillory for a few days, but nothing too extreme unless it's like murder or rape."

There were a few people back in Bar who were beheaded for something like that. The Count just dragged the guilty out to the main square and killed them with a sword. No show to put on, or making an example out of them. He just left their corpse for the crows.

"Looking back on it, I-"

"H-Hello," a voice exclaimed.

Both Weiss and Jaune turned towards the origin of said voice. Standing on the street, a few feet away, was the bar-maid from the tavern.

The girl stared at the partners with a nervous expression. She would not meet their gaze, glancing down to the floor as Jaune turned to face her. Two lengths of hair resting on her shoulders whipped about with the quick motion of her head. The slight downturn of her face revealed a neat bun on the back of her head held together by a pin. As she stood there, both of her hands came up to her chest, cupping each other in an anxious gesture.

"Are you... are you Jaune Arc," she asked in a tense voice. The girl finally looked up at him with a deep blush on her cheeks.

 _How does she know me?_ Jaune's expression turned to one of confusion. _I know I didn't tell her my name. Someone else had to have said it to her..._

"Yeah," he replied neutrally. "You were that girl from the tavern yesterday... Are you all right?"

One of her sleeves fell down halfway on her arm. While revealing her freckled dotted cream coloured skin. It also showed off the bruises that wrapped around her upper arm. Each was shaped like a finger with four in total.

She nodded fervently, bouncing her hair up and down. "I-I wanted to thank you for what you did," she explained, taking a step forward onto the sidewalk. "Nobody else has done something like that for me..." Both of her hands fell down to her waist, showing something in her hand. "So, I wanted to give you this. It's not much, but I don't really have anything valuable for a reward." She held out her hand, exposing the bauble contained within.

It was a rather large gemstone, looking to have been pulled out of the ground and handed off to a merchant or found on the streets. It was beautiful in the most simple description. A bright yellow lime-sized hunk of crystal that while uncut and unpolished, still refracted a majority of the light through its lattice.

Even though Jaune was not an expert in jewellery or gems at all. He knew this was a yellow sapphire. A rather expensive one at that if he judged the colour and size correctly. He didn't have much of an idea for a price, yet she probably didn't even know what it was either. Most would have thought it was some pretty rock not worth much to them.

"You're welcome," Jaune said, closing the distance between the two. "But I can't accept this." He cupped her hand in his, closing them around the gem. "I didn't help you for a reward. But you should hide this somewhere, it's valuable. Don't carry it on you either."

It wasn't right to take this gem when Jaune attacked those guys for nothing more than losing his temper. Especially if it was worth enough to buy a small house with and furnish said home. He would be taking advantage of the girl if he had.

The girl had a stunned expression on her face as Jaune let go of her hands. She pulled them back to her waist, gripping the dress she was wearing. "Thank you," she repeated herself, looking Jaune dead in the eyes. "Are you staying in Whiteshale for long?"

"No, sorry," Jaune answered nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "We're leaving tonight after we finish our quest, so I won't be staying here."

"Oh, okay," she said, not losing her gaze, smiling at him. "But if you ever come back to Whiteshale, look for me at the tavern. Just ask for Lara, and I'll try to make-it-up to you..." She reached forward, wrapping her arms around his torso in a firm hug.

Jaune froze at Lara's touch. He stood there like an idiot for a moment before one of his hands came around her back. Her grip tightened momentarily at the palm resting on her shoulder, pressing her chest against his.

 _Too close!_

Lara backed out a second later, blushing intensely. She waved once, turning around and heading back into the crowd. There was a minor pep in her step as she scurried off.

"Hey, guys," Ruby shouted busting out the front door of the inn. "I found what I was looking for!" She stopped, staring at Jaune's back for a moment. "Did something happen?"

"No," Jaune snapped out of the trance he had been put into. "Nothing at all." He turned to face Ruby and Weiss.

Ruby had a generally confused look on her face for a few seconds as she stood there. Weiss had looked somewhat peeved about something, which Jaune hadn't noticed at first glance. Both girls simply stood there without saying a word.

"As I was saying," Weiss returned to their conversation. "We shouldn't come back to this city for quite some time. We never learned about what happened to those bandits, and there is a chance they could come looking for revenge after what you did to them."

"Yeah, that would be bad," Ruby agreed, cupping her chin. "We should hurry up before Jaune can find more of them..."

It made sense. Jaune didn't want to risk those guys coming after him or one of his friends. Especially if they managed to corner Weiss and Ruby without their weapons. Neither could handle themselves in a fistfight.

 **[Valish Forest]**

It had been a few hours since the trio left Whiteshale. All that surrounded them was a field of large oak trees and every animal in the underbrush. A nice change from the big city. It was a lot quieter out here.

The group engaged in some light conversation here and there. As there was not much else to keep their minds occupied. The forests surrounding massive fortresses were often deserted of any occupants aside from the occasional group of bandits. Even then, none were to be found.

"So what do you guys want to do when we get back to Beacon," Ruby asked, turning around to face her party as she took point.

The question skittered off Jaune's brain enough to where he barely heard it. He had been distracted at times during their trek. Mainly due to what had happened outside the tavern earlier today.

Lara preoccupied his head more often than not even before they left for the spider nest. While she was a beautiful woman, and Jaune could never doubt that. Her being a faunus, having those fox ears made Lara cuter. The aesthetic qualities of the girl, however, were not at the forefront of his mind right now.

Being a hero was often a thankless job. From what Jaune had seen and heard, many students at the academy were treated no better than common mercenaries. It was true in some cases, but that was beside the point.

When Lara sought him out, she was trying to repay him for coming to her rescue. It felt good to finally be shown some genuine gratitude for going the extra distance on a quest. Even though Jaune denied the gemstone she had tried to give him, the hug was more than enough.

The feeling of her arms wrapped around his back, or as much as she could manage, left a tingling sensation in its wake. That sort of warm fuzzy feeling you would get when you did something right. Or whenever you get butterflies in your stomach seeing a girl you like.

It really did help that she was a pretty girl. This was the kind of thing Jaune came to the academy for. Saving fair maidens and such. Other than being a knight, of course. Alas, those plans were dashed when Jaune found out what he really was.

Now he just had to pull his head out his ass and move on from Weiss.

"I think we should go practice in the Emerald Forest," Ruby suggested. "Pyrrha said there were some cool monsters out there!"

 _I heard about something like that too..._

The rumours were not something to rely on, of course, but the thought of fighting some higher level monsters did sound nice. Jaune still had those occasional cravings for Exp too. Satisfying that and bumping his level up to nineteen or twenty would get him another ability, hopefully.

"I hope you mean tomorrow after class," Weiss corrected her despite not needing to. "I would like to rest and take a bath." She pulled at her sleeve in disgust.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "But if we find a river, you can jump in and get cleaned off. I don't think there are any bathhouses out here..." She looked around comically, shielding her eyes with a hand.

"N-NO," Weiss stuttered in a panic. "I will not! Do you realise how disgusting some of the rivers here are?!" A mean blush took over the girl's cheeks. One bad enough Jaune could see it from behind her.

 _I think there is something else she's worried about..._

Being the only guy in this party, Weiss might have been worried about being seen naked by Jaune. It was reasonable to expect that.

"If you really need to, Weiss," Jaune spoke up. "I can go stand behind a tree while you get cleaned up. I'm not going to look."

Weiss whipped around, giving him a look. It wasn't some glare to fix his attitude. It was a genuine 'death stare' if there was ever one. Like a, 'Go jump in a lake, Arc,' look.

"Okay-Okay," Jaune backed off, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was just letting you know. We're going to be hunting spiders anyway, so you can go clean up after."

Weiss took in a deep breath, calming herself. "It's fine," she said in a calmer tone. "Thank you for being courteous; however, I prefer to use an actual bath. I don't expect to be covered in pieces of spider during this quest."

"Because that's _my_ job," Jaune finished her sentence.

"Of course," Weiss agreed, sarcastically. "Who else but our _brave_ Paladin? He who does battle with all manner of foe in the most reckless way possible, giving little thought as to his injuries."

 _Now she's making fun of me... But it's true. That's what makes it even worse._

Ruby let out a light laugh. "So, do you guys have any ideas for the spiders," she asked, still walking backwards. "I have some..."

"I do as well," Weiss said, getting back to business. "But we should discuss them once we see the nest."

"Good idea..."

 _I can tell this is going to be a fun day already..._

* * *

 **Like I said, short chapter. I couldn't do anymore of this because I got shit to do and won't be able to write anymore today and tomorrow.**

* * *

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

 **Level Nineteen**

 **Strength 36 (+2)**

 **Agility 19 (+1)**

 **Defence 25 (+1)**

 **Perception 29 (+1)**

 **Constitution 35 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 43 (+1)**

 **Charisma 23 (+1)**

 **Willpower 16 (+1)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Passive: Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	21. Act Two: Chapter Four

**Please read the AN. I got some shit I want to tell you. If you don't want to read the whole thing, scroll down about halfway.**

* * *

 **So we need to discuss Jaune's new hairstyle.**

 **If you haven't seen it yet, go look on the RWBY wiki and take a gander at his pictures. You'll see.**

 **Now, my opinion on the style.**

 **"Very nice, I Like," he says in his best Borat voice.**

 **I think it's a good look for Jaune. It's a new look that I think would have a funny backstory to it. Maybe Nora and Yang holding him down and cutting his hair?**

 **And before I continue any further. I will display my bias to blond hair styling. Because any professional must display their bias while writing!**

 **Exit this fic and go to my profile. Once you're there, take a good hard look at that Discount Chris Hemsworth. (The avatar next to the stories.)**

 **It's ya boi Bangs!**

 _ ***Girls run and scream in terror.***_

 **Yeah, that's me... The only blond dude who styled his hair in my senior class. (Fauxhawk for the win!)**

 **So, I immediately liked Jaune's new hairstyle. For that reason. Mainly because it looks good. I can also cosplay as a shorter and buffer version of him now. (Hurray!) (That picture is only going to be up there for a few days so look while you can ladies.)**

 **I think it's a good change because while every character has had some change to their clothing. Not all of the characters have changed their hair. Yang and Nora are the only ones who have gone without a change in their hair. Besides, it looks better on Jaune compared to his long hair if we look at it from a fashion standpoint.**

 **Maybe it doesn't seem like the good ol' Jaune we know and love. But, frankly, this change is a nice one. I like it.**

 **But for RWBY Vol. 7.**

 **I'm going into that shit cold as ice! I'm just going to watch it for RWBY! Because I want to see where the story is going. I gives no fucks about whether or not it is as good as Vol. 3. There is no way to match that again, so of course the show will go downhill! (I loved the last three volumes BTW! Vol. 6 was too short in my opinion but whatevs)**

 **Remember the teachings of Kratos. "Keep your expectations low and you will never be disappointed!"**

* * *

 **In other news, I'm planning on doing a major retcon of this story. Before I continue any further, I am going back through out the entire fic and will be polishing it up! Adding stuff in and taking stuff out.**

 **Most notably, replacing the OC with Sun Wukong. We're bringing our boy off the bench because I looked back and realised I couldn't work this story with an OC among the group, so we're dropping him off. He'll remain a background character or most likely be taken off entirely.**

 **Why Sun you may ask? Because I was going to bring him in later in this fic, but decided he would be better spent not with Neptune and his team. It just seemed like a waste not using him when the OC is basically a personality clone of Sun. Also because I can have him talk shit with Weiss.**

 **I'm going to spend more time developing Jaune's feelings for Weiss too. I don't think I did a great job on that and will add to the chapters, showing Jaune falling for Weiss even harder than he was before!**

* * *

 **But for this chapter. We is hunting spiders!**

 **This chapter serves to send us off into the real story. Because what causes our protagonists to take on their quest is never something as simple as being assigned it or searching for an enemy. It's having the problem come running up to you in the middle of the night, trying to tear your throat out!**

 **Or protags will get thrown into the main campaign against their will! That's how it is in most video games! Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, The Witcher series, and most other RPGs.**

 **I'm also planning on developing Jaune and Ruby's relationship a bit more as the pace will slow down. She and Yang are going to become Jaune's adopted sisters more or less and I want them to get to know each other better.**

 **Also, Guild Girl from the Grimmjack Goblin Slayer abridged series is my fucking spirit animal!**

* * *

 **Edit Notes (2/6/20): Minour edits made to this chapter. Removed the last pieces of the OC in this story. Now Sun has fully taken hold of his position.**

* * *

A gust of wind swept through the forest, bringing with it a fresh breeze of air. The draft ruffled Jaune's hair, blowing it into his eyes. A swipe with his hand put it back into place. However, the rest of the forest shook and stirred without pause as the gust pushed the branches in the canopy back and forth, making them sway in the wind.

Jaune looked up, admiring the forest around him. It was simply pretty. The green canvas hanging above his head cast shadows down onto the floor with only the occasional rays of light poking through the thick layer of leaves. Flowers grew in small clearings or near any bodies of water in every imaginable colour: red, blue, white, yellow, and even black. Small animals scurried about, minding their own business as they foraged for food.

The boy who had been sightseeing for some time was carrying only his satchel and weapons on him. Same for Weiss, and Ruby, yet they didn't bring any bags. Today was not anything like their previous quests. It was more of an errand, really. A ten-mile hike through rough terrain to the spider nest and teleporting back to town.

The group also had to find it, since they were only given a general area for where it could be, however, it shouldn't be that much of an issue. Especially for a low-level creature.

Nobody needed to bring along anything more than a day-pack and whatever tools they needed. Jaune had the food on him, but not much else outside his normal kit. It wasn't a quest that required too much involvement on their part. Just search and destroy.

As for the plan on how to deal with the spiders, however...

They didn't get anywhere in the three hours they had been walking so far. Weiss eventually suggested they stop debating over it and come up with a plan when they could see the nest. Jaune liked that one better, but it didn't seem very Ice Queen-like.

Jaune snorted internally at the name.

Naturally, Yang had been the first one to come up with it as a joke due to her 'icy' nature. Eventually, it caught on and was now Weiss' nickname. It didn't help that everyone called her that now. However, it was funny watching Weiss get irritated at the name.

Jaune even called her that out of good-natured teasing every once in a while.

Of course, she was embarrassed by him calling her that. Weiss would get all flustered and then start calling him names in return. It made her look so cute sometimes, which left Jaune wishing he never stopped pursuing her occasionally.

Suddenly, butterflies formed inside Jaune's stomach. The feeling was similar to being punched in the gut or even worse than that. How his intestines stirred from the onset of adrenaline.

 _Huh... Why did I have to think about that again?_

The image of Weiss with reddened cheeks appeared at the forefront of his mind. Her pearl white skin made her blush even more apparent. She had a slight pout on her lips juxtaposed by her narrowed eyes, showing off her irritation.

 _Stop it-Stop it-Stop it! Why does this keep happening to me?!_

 _First Weiss woke up next to me! Now I can't stop thinking about her! Is this going to become a regular thing now?! Then, Lara!_

 _UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, she was so cute!_

 _Weiss is right too! It's not like I'm going to see her again._

That beautiful fox-faunus had been on his mind for quite some time recently; still kind of was. Specifically, the hug because that's the kind of thing Jaune was looking forward to with any girl. At least any girl that would give him the time of day.

 _I should write a memoir..._

 _"The Depressed Life That is Jaune Arc." Detailing his many attempts at getting a girlfriend and failing at even the basics. Then all of my other plans went down the drain when I became a Paladin._

 _Somebody might buy it and get a laugh out of it. Hell, they might even pity me or just call me an idiot! Not like I don't deserve it because all of this is my fault!_

Jaune threw his head backwards and let out a loud sigh.

 _I really need to try getting over Weiss..._

"Hey, Jaune," a voice drew him back to reality.

He let his head fall forwards and trained his eyes on the origin of said voice. Ruby had turned around, walking backwards behind Weiss now facing Jaune. The girl had a neutral yet cheerful look on her face. And Ruby was always sparkling, or at least, most of the time she was.

"Yeah..."

"Oh, you looked like you were spacing out," she said, almost hesitantly. "I called you a few times, and you didn't answer."

"Sorry," Jaune apologised, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I was thinking. Didn't hear you..."

"Was it about the fight," Ruby immediately followed up.

 _No, I was just angsting over Weiss and the really pretty girl I rescued yesterday..._

"Yeah, I was going over it in my head," he lied without pause. "There's some stuff I want to try improving."

To Jaune, he sounded like a huge liar. Probably due to him actually knowing what was going on, but not much else to really base it off of. Maybe it was due to how his mood had shifted since Jaune was purely playing the part.

"Oo-oo-oo-oo," Ruby uttered as she came up with something, bouncing up and down on her toes.

Her reaction to what Jaune said gave him some credit to his acting skills. That said, it was difficult to know how Ruby was going to react to anything. At least Weiss was more predictable.

"You and Yang should spar," Ruby her idea known, pointing at him. "I've never seen you two fight! You could handle her!" She paused for a few moments. "It would be great practice! She's like... the best at boxing!"

 _Thanks, Ruby... Just throw me to the wolves while you're at it._

 _I should write this down. 'Never let Yang hear about me getting into a bar fight.'_

Jaune chuckled. "I'm gonna take a hard pass on that," he said in a joking yet friendly tone. "I don't want to get sent back to my parents in a shoebox." He cupped his chin, looking upwards for a second before turning back to Ruby. "Also, it doesn't count as practice when one of us is going to be stomped into the ground without a fight."

Vampires, goblins, and giant spiders. Jaune could contest with. A very pissed off and very strong woman was an entirely different animal. Especially since Yang was probably two or three times stronger than him.

"Nah," she said. "You could take her. But..." Ruby took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Speaking of parents. You never told us what Bar was like! I just remembered we asked you about that!"

 _And back to this conversation!_

That question had come up last night before Jaune had started trading haymakers with some bandits. He hadn't planned to lie about anything since he had already informed Yang of some of the story. However, it was not something he wanted to go around telling everyone.

 _Huh... She's got you backed in Jaune. Dodge the question and raise suspicion, or go ahead and water down the truth and risk her thinking you lied. Best to tell the truth about my parents and sisters at least._

 _I don't think I would pass the speech check otherwise... Damn Charisma._

"Hmmm," Jaune hummed to himself while gathering his thoughts. "Well, do you remember when we were back in Westburg?"

"It's not hard to forget," Weiss spoke up from the front, making Jaune realise she had been listening in. Likely, the painful experience of being embarrassed in front of a noble branded the memory in her mind.

"Yes..." Ruby answered, agreeing with Weiss, although seemingly unsure of her answer. It was possible that she may have forgotten about that quest or let it slip from her mind.

"It's a lot like that," Jaune explained curtly. "I think I mentioned it when we were walking up to the castle. Sir Samson also told you guys pretty much everything when he recognised me. But my Dad used to be a mercenary but focused on hunting monsters most of the time."

He hadn't ever explained that part to the girls yet. They didn't ask, so it never really came up in any of their previous conversations until yesterday. Jaune knew he wouldn't have been able to escape the question as he was starting to get close to his friends.

"Well... that does explain your fighting style," Weiss commented, immediately following Jaune. She still faced forward, away from the other two adventurers. "Mercenaries don't typically follow any of the formal schools of swordsmanship. Being a monster hunter would have also influenced the lack of formal sword stances, favouring your brawler-esque techniques."

 _Good, she thinks my Dad taught me how to fight..._

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "I got some basic sword stances, but my Dad taught me how to fight monsters most of the time. Since then, I just made up my own style."

Still, unknown to them, Jaune was literally self-taught. The only real formal training he had was with Weiss. Since then, he had pretty-much improved leagues beyond where he was initially. When it came to fighting people at least. With monsters, Jaune still knew what he was doing. They didn't fight with regards to any schools in mind.

"Same for me," Ruby chirped, slinging Crescent Rose over her shoulder. "My Uncle kinda taught me how to use the scythe, but I had to teach myself how to fight with it. So, everything I do is on the spot." She twirled the scythe around in her fingers. "When I was younger, Yang would watch my back until I figured it out."

 _Yang would be proud of you..._

With Ruby's abilities, her fighting style was all about mobility and hitting her opponent before they could react. Jaune had watched her fight a few times and was impressed by how she moved around the battlefield. Most students couldn't keep up with her, and the few who did were, unfortunately, able to win easily.

"Yeah, the way you fight kind of reminds me of a greatsword," Jaune suggested to Ruby. "Wide sweeping motions, usually keeping the weapon going in a circle." He demonstrated this, doing the same thing with an invisible weapon in hand. Ruby walked on, watching his movements.

 _She would be a monster using the greatsword. Better than a scythe. Except, Crescent Rose is double-bladed and not like any vanilla scythe. It's probably because of the force being focused on a single spot..._

"Yes, actually, I was thinking of the same thing," Weiss agreed, glancing back at the two. "You would be better suited in the Atlesian School if you could use swords."

"Eh, maybe," Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "But I can't imagine life without _my Crescent Rose._ " She cradled the scythe in her arms, speaking to it like a baby. "What about you, Weiss? Where did you learn how to use _Myrtenaster_?"

From what Jaune had seen from Weiss. Her style was more formal and rigid. The rapier was actually a better fit for her than a typical double-edged arming sword. She needed to kill opponents in a single thrust. There was no way she could keep up with a more athletically capable opponent who made it past her magic. However, the blade more or less played second fiddle to her own magic.

"I had tutors," she explained. "My father would hire masters of the Atlesian School to instruct me on the art of fencing. Along with my schooling in magic, I had a thorough education in the art of war." She paused for a few moments. "Most of what I had learned, however, is rather difficult to apply in this sort of chaotic environment."

 _Heh... Probably why she teamed up with me._

"Learning from experience seems like the best way then," Ruby concluded, letting the conversation grow silent for a moment. "But back to Bar!"

Jaune snorted at the sudden return to their normal conversation.

"You know, Ruby if you hadn't run off to chase those goblins down I could have explained this to you and Yang at once," he said, showing mock irritation. That seemed to get the wheels inside Ruby's head-turning as she came up with something in response.

"But," Ruby countered, holding an index finger up. "Yang wouldn't have yelled at me, which wouldn't have led to me finding those tracks, which wouldn't have led to us teaming up with Weiss!"

Her theory on how things might have played out appeared to be stable in her head. It sounded like some sort of logic one of his younger sisters would have concocted.

"Ruby," Weiss spoke up in her usual haughty tone. "I doubt you had the foresight to know this would have happened. Jaune could have easily recruited you to our party regardless of whatever antics you may have performed during your first quest."

 _And there's Weiss' scepticism coming into play._

Ruby groaned loudly, turning back to their leader. " _Weiss_ ," she whispered to the Mage. "You were supposed to play along! I totally had him fooled!" The way Ruby sounded was as if she had been planning to bust out that line during a conversation for a while now.

Jaune snorted. "Not really," he explained, further shattering Ruby's riposte. "You and Yang are not alone here. I have sisters _too_. So, I know all the tricks in the book."

That meant most of the bullshit siblings would try to pull on each other didn't work with him. Saphron had really been the one to show Jaune the ropes when it came to this. Their parents were often too busy with work to deal with all of the hooliganism going on under their noses.

"Is that, 'sisters,' plural I hear," Ruby said.

She was about to continue before backing into a motionless Weiss who was nearly toppled over by the other girl. Ruby managed to catch herself as did the Mage who stumbled forward.

"Watch it, you dunce," Weiss chided the girl, rubbing the back of her head where they clearly connected.

"Sorry..."

Jaune stepped up next to where Weiss and Ruby were standing, beholding the sight before him.

 _Well, we found it..._

In front of them was the remains of a deer carcass.

The body itself was dried out and mangled almost to the point of being unrecognisable. It was kind of like a raisin... just bigger and in the shape of a deer. Unfortunately, the desiccated flesh had pulled back tightly due to the moisture loss over time, concealing any visible wounds.

However, on the ground, was a white fibrous organic material. Jaune immediately knew they were a spider's webs. It was all over the place. In the trees, covering the grass, dusting any and all surfaces. The phenomenon of this sight was usually labelled, 'Spider Frost,' after what spiders typically do during large storms or floods. Stringing their webbing all over an object, sometimes covering entire fields in webbing.

"Yeah, this is totally a giant spider," Ruby stated, poking the deer corpse with the butt of Crescent Rose's haft. "This kind of thing happened all the time on Patch."

Jaune expected that, quite frankly. Patch was deserted enough as it, making it an excellent place for monsters to live. A self-contained environment such as that would have led to some interesting divergence among a progenitor species.

Weiss made a noise, revealing her disgust. She didn't move any closer to the corpse, preferring to stay a few feet away while Jaune and Ruby got their hands dirty.

"I don't know how you two are capable of living where these creatures do," Weiss commented, drawing Jaune's attention. "Normal spiders are of no concern, yet, when they are capable of killing a deer like this..."

She stopped right there with a grossed out look on her face. Her lips pulled back slightly, and she brought her hand up to shield her nose.

"Oh, Weiss, they do a lot more than kill deer," Jaune explained, kneeling down and kneading some webs between his fingers. "Cows too, and whatever else they get their claws on." He stood up from the scene and turned to her. "You don't have a lot of spiders on Atlas, do you?"

Weiss was either repulsed by the sight of a dead animal or just the thought about what the spider did to it was enough to gross her out. Frankly, Jaune could agree with her. Small spiders were bad enough. These ones were about the size of a cow if he had to guess.

Weiss shook her head. "No, I cannot say... for certain that is," she replied, taking a step forward. "The climate is often too cold for large arthropods that have not adapted to any marine lifestyle. Megafauna such as mammoths and large cats, yes of course. However, few arthropods beyond bees kept by farmers and those that rarely come out from the ground for the year except during the summer."

"Figures," Jaune agreed. "They have to be smaller to live further up north. More food in the south too. Probably why they get so big."

There were many species of spiders on Remnant. They are an integral part of the ecosystem, of course, so there should be many, ranging in all manner of shapes and sizes. The species the party was hunting may have resembled a larger form of a tarantula or trap-door spider. Nearly being a mirror image of their smaller brethren.

"I've seen one that was almost the size of a horse," Ruby added on, poking at the webs with a stick. "Yang and I heard Zwei barking one morning, and we went out to see what was happening..."

 _Zwei?_

Must have been Ruby's dog. If it were capable of barking, then that would have been the logical conclusion. Unless it was a barking spider.

"Yang thought a wolf or something was near our cabin, so we grabbed our weapons and went out to go look. We followed him up to the barn and saw the wall was smashed in," she continued explaining. "Inside was this _giant spider_ trying to attack my Dad's horse." Ruby held her arms out to give a representation of the size of the creature. "It was huge, just barely under our horse's shoulder." She leapt upwards as high as she could, hitting the height mark. "Of course, it saw us and tried, but failed to eat us."

 _That's terrifying..._

"Ruby..." Jaune tried to come up with something. "Patch doesn't seem like a fun place in my head anymore." He turned around to face her. "You have leshens, giant spiders, and next you're going to tell me there's a population of demons living there too."

"It's not _that bad_ ," Ruby replied with extra emphasis to make her point. "We have a barrier around the house, so the real nasty stuff can't wander in."

 _A barrier?_

The way she said that so casually was as if Ruby had lived with it her entire life. Must have been why she was so innocent on most regards? Her home was protected by a magical ward, so tragedies couldn't befall their family.

More villages could have used magic to protect their homes. If people trusted it more, that is.

"I see..."

Jaune kneeled down once again to inspect the ground surrounding the deer. There wasn't much of a trail to go off of here. No prints from their claws or tarsus that could be noted. Just the webs.

"We should look around for a trail to follow," Jaune changed the subject, getting back on track. He stood up to get a look at the surrounding area.

Before Jaune could get a good look, Weiss had already come up with something.

"Well, the webs seem to head off in that direction," Weiss she noted, having most likely been searching the area during their conversation. Or at least looking around. "See..." She pointed off in another direction, deeper into the forest.

There, at the edge of woods, lay an opening through the trees. Not the sort of entrance a monster makes by knocking them down, but an actual path. An old road used by some settlers to this area?

This path was adorned with an arachnophobes nightmare. Extensive networks of webs clung to the trees making the sight more dark and dreary than it would have been without. Most of the webbing was in the canopy, hanging above any traveller's head who dared to pass through this neck of the forest.

The road kept going farther into the forest until the point everything melded together in a sea of black and green. These spider webs ran along the entire length of road. Jaune could even make out an old corpse propped up against a tree.

"These are all old webs," Jaune remarked, taking a knee to inspect the path. "Their main nest should be deeper in the forest. Maybe a cave?"

Giant spiders like these ones wouldn't leave an open-air nest laying around. Like any other animal, they would prefer a burrow where their eggs could be protected from other predators. Not to mention the environmental conditions being more suited to spawning their young.

"Yes," Weiss agreed, standing next to Jaune. "This may have been an older nesting site before the population migrated further into the forest. I would expect to see old moults along their path."

"So, follow the spiders it is then," Ruby concluded, taking the first few steps down the path before stopping. "Wait, Jaune you go first."

"Why me," he whined, knowing what faced him as they were about to head into the forest. "You have Crescent Rose to knock down the spider webs."

"Yeah," she agreed reluctantly. "But, I'm not the tracker. I might miss something and lead us in the wrong direction."

"She has a point, Jaune," Weiss condemned the boy to his fate. "I would not trust the dunce with leading us through this forest."

Ruby blew a raspberry at the Mage. In return, Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Jaune sighed, standing up and beginning to follow the path.

 _Follow the spiders, she says..._

 **[A Half Hour Later]**

This day seems to be growing worse by the minute.

During their trek deeper into the forest, Jaune ran into. Every. Single. Goddammed. Web.

It was like the gods had placed every one of them there for him to walk into. And Jaune did, having to stop every twenty or so feet just to pull the sticky webs off him. It became worse when he tried to take down the larger ones blocking their path. Those merely fell on Jaune even if he grabbed a stick to knock it down. Yet, they were even stickier than a normal spider web.

Weiss and Ruby were happily walking an entire ten or so feet behind him the whole time. Jaune never heard a peep about walking into a spider's web.

However, everything the group had predicted about this path was correct. The signs of a massive spider infestation were all over the place. The most obvious being the forest spanning networks of webs, but that was not the only thing.

Large moults ranging from a few months old to a few weeks old dotted the road. Most were smaller and decayed mainly by this point as they were about the size of an apple or small dog. The more massive exoskeletons were larger than Ruby.

"Wait, do you guys hear that," Ruby spoke up, silencing her companions and getting them to stop moving.

Jaune focused his ears to hear what she was talking about. He panned his field of vision from side to side, watching the edges of the forest for any signs of movement. Yet, everything was remarkably still.

Actually, Jaune couldn't hear anything. Only the sound of wind and the white noise in the background. Not even the birds chirping or sounds of insects in the underbrush.

It was dead.

This whole forest was a dead zone, completely deserted of life beside the adventurers standing in the middle of this path.

"I don't hear anything, Ruby," Weiss unknowingly agreed with Jaune. "What are you talking about?"

Ruby turned to Jaune - their eyes meeting briefly. "It's just like the forest where we took on that goblin quest," she explained, gesturing with her hands. "There were no animals except for some monsters."

"Because the goblins hunted everything in the forest," Jaune finished the thought. "The other animals that could escape left before the goblins ate them too. It's why they started attacking the villages in the area."

"So, the spiders moved their nesting site to where the food was, but now there's nothing left for them to eat," Weiss added on. "That must be the reason why they have begun hunting near Whiteshale. Their numbers have grown too large to support the population."

That was going to be another issue they were going to have to deal with. The spider's bloating population meant they were going to be desperate for food and possibly hunting in the general area as they were speaking. Even if they were weak, it was still another danger that the group couldn't ignore.

Giant spiders were, in essence, a lot like goblins. They might not have the same level of intelligence, but they acted like a swarm when taking down prey. A not very spider-like activity since smaller spiders are not known for this, but this variety of spiders is different in that regard. A larger brain was to thank for this change.

However, like goblins, giant spiders used numbers to defend their nest. While one could crack open the exoskeleton of these arachnids with a boot or even use a sling to dispatch them without issue. It didn't prevent them from ganging up on you and taking their prey down.

"Their nest might be somewhere close by," Ruby suggested, scanning the nearby forests for any signs. "Monsters like to hunt near their dens to save energy. If they have been eating everything in this area, they would have to expand their hunting range outwards."

It made sense in all honesty. The same concept applied to hunter-gatherers. They may try to track prey in the nearby woods or gather plants in the vicinity of their camp where plentiful. Once the area has been depleted of resources, they would move on to greener pastures or go out longer when feasible.

Jaune's memory may have been a bit fuzzy from the walk, but he had heard animals along the old road. It wasn't until now he realised this. The area they had found the deer carcass in was where the spiders were probably going to move or their new hunting ground.

"Yeah, we should look around here then," Jaune suggested. "We shouldn't have to worry about spiders. They're mostly nocturnal and won't come out unless we run into their nest. So, spread out and scout out the area while we don't have a definite trail." Each of his party members split off to search their surroundings as they did earlier.

Jaune spun around, swivelling from right to left, squinting his eyes to gaze further into the treeline.

The area they were in right now was sitting next to a small ravine leading down the hill. Even with the webbing covering most of everything, the vegetation was still very thick in the Valish underbrush. Especially around the small stream flowing through the gully.

A prime example of what half of Sanus looked like. Minus the webs.

Yet, there didn't seem to be any sign of where spiders would be nesting. If they constructed their own burrow instead of using a cave, it would be difficult to see from down here. However, the higher ground didn't offer any benefits as the forest canopy was too thick. So, Jaune was stuck having to walk around until he found another trail.

...

"Have you found anything," Weiss spoke up from behind Jaune. It nearly startled him as she hadn't made any noise when walking up behind him. She probably hadn't thought about that.

It had been a few minutes into this search, and Jaune lost track of time. Not finding anything drove to him to scrutinise the area even harder and tune everything else out around him. A careless mistake.

"Uhhh... No," he answered curtly, adjusting his posture. "I wish we had some higher ground out here." Jaune started heading down the creak to see if it opened up into a clearing. Weiss followed, trying her best to balance herself on the sharp incline. "It's kind of hard to see anything."

"Unfortunately, that is the case for Ruby and me," Weiss agreed in her formal tone of voice. "We could not see anything in the bushes near the old road." The Mage stepped up to Jaune's side. "Thus, Ruby decided to continue looking around while I went to aid your search."

It didn't seem wholly necessary to Jaune. He was used to tracking these creatures in the forests of Vale. Weiss and Ruby, however, were not nearly as experienced in the art of hunting monsters. The extra set of eyes in the direction Jaune was heading to may be of some use regardless.

"Yeah," Jaune said, acknowledging Weiss. "Spiders are usually easy to hunt. Just head into the forest, and follow their paths. But this... This is something else."

"What about it," Weiss asked in response.

"I've never seen an infestation this large," Jaune claimed, gesturing with his right hand. "It must have been out here for a while."

Most of the spiders around Bar were mainly in groups of two or three. They might form a nest and start breeding, but most never reached a population the size of the one in this forest. The guards and adventurers in the city took care of any breeding populations before they grew too large.

 _It's due to the Lord of Whiteshale neglecting to hire someone to take care of it. Even though giant spiders are weak, they are still a danger to merchant caravans._

The reason why a lord wholly invested in making money wanted to leave his trade routes vulnerable was lost to Jaune. Any sane person would want to keep their supply lines open for goods pass through.

"I see," Weiss mumbled, cupping her lower jaw in her right hand. "The spiders had time to cast this webbing everywhere, making it even more challenging to track them. These could merely be from another, older, nesting sight."

"Probably," Jaune agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "The gold for this job's going to be worth it with the three of us anyway. So, I'm not mad at it."

"Of course," Weiss said mindlessly, pausing for a brief moment. She started fidgeting with her hands. "However, after we are done here, I wonder... maybe if we could-"

"GUYS, I FOUND SOMETHING," a voice from up the hill called down to them. The sudden distraction caused both students to turn towards the sound, allowing the conversation to fall off.

"That's Ruby," Jaune muttered, turning to Weiss. "We should go see what's going on with her..."

...

The heroes wasted no time climbing back up the slope and onto the small clearing they formerly inhabited. Jaune quickly managed to scale the steep incline only slipping once on the wet floor. Weiss, however, could not do such, having to half crawl lest she tumbled down the entirety of the hill.

Back at the end of the road, Jaune was met with Ruby standing in the middle of the path. She sported an excited look on her face like she just found her favourite treat, or when Jaune had given her a new Crescent Rose. Even her body language showcased the feeling, barely even able to stand in one place.

"Guys, you have to see what I found," she opened excitedly nearly bouncing up and down. "I used my ability to scout out the forest because I was tired of looking around, and I think I found the nest." The girl started heading off to where she had seen it.

 _Finally, some good news..._

If she and Weiss had no dice when searching the general area, it made sense to use her ability to cover a lot of ground. Ruby couldn't use it to scout out the entire forest on her own as she would likely miss a trail. However, with their supposed proximity to the nest, her 'Crimson Flash' came in handy to cover more ground.

And her decision ended up paying off.

 _Maybe we should make Ruby the team Scout? If she can use her ability all the time like she does, then all I have to do is help with her tracking skills some more._

 _Just set her loose and follow her back to whatever we were looking for. Rinse and then repeat._

"Did you get a good look inside," Jaune asked, following behind Ruby at a quick pace with Weiss tailing the two.

"Yeah, and I heard them," Ruby chirped excitedly. "They were making that weird chittering noise. Super creepy..."

Jaune got the chills just thinking about that. It was the one thing he hated about hunting spiders. Not the way they looked, but the sounds they made.

"We know," Weiss cut her off before she could go any further. "We had a run-in with them on our Initiation quest. Actually, the other dunce had led us right into their nest when he fell into it."

 _I thought she forgot about that! I did say I was sorry about it._

"Okay..." Ruby realised they were on the same wavelength. "But it should be just over this hill near a thicket."

...

"This is it," Ruby whispered as the whole group crouched down near a fallen tree.

Jaune peaked over the log to get a look at their quarry. The den rested about ten or so metres from where he was sitting.

It was your average, run of the mill hole in the ground. Maybe it had been an old mineshaft that was abandoned long before their arrival. Jaune knew that it wasn't a natural hole a spider would create for its burrow. They had appropriated it for their purposes.

The outside of the shaft was covered in webs just like everything else was here. However, these were spun in a funnel shape clinging to nearby saplings or other plants. Much thicker than the light frosting coating the ground and adjacent trees.

A classical funnel-web spider nest. Whether or not these spiders were precisely like the smaller species was up to discussion. Maybe they were another type after all?

Now their task was pretty much cut and dry. Jaune knew this was probably going to be one of their most straightforward quests this year, so he wanted to get this done quickly. The longer they remained, the more time expensive this quest was going to be.

"So, what it'll be," Jaune asked his teammates. "How do you guys want to take this?"

He dropped his satchel in the middle of the three. Weiss quickly pulled out several small potion vials and every other item they had brought along. The Heiress laid them out neatly in rows, muttering her thoughts to herself.

"What did you bring," Weiss asked Jaune in return.

None of them coordinated what items to bring with them this morning. They just haphazardly threw stuff into a bag and called it good. Maybe that was a poor decision in hindsight?

"A few vials of venom antidotes," Jaune said, grabbing two bottles. "I made these using some herbs that grow near my hometown."

"You know alchemy," Ruby spoke up in a surprised tone.

"A little bit," he explained, giving a so-so handshake. "The healers at the local temple showed me how, but I learned a lot more in Dr Oobleck's class. They're not great... they work. They just don't taste good."

"Oh..."

"I also brought the Dust," Jaune continued, laying out the half dozen crystals he kept on his person. "But, I'm not sure how useful it will be?"

Ruby let out a gasp. "Wait a minute," she said, grabbing some of the crystals. "I have an idea?" Ruby turned to Weiss. "Weiss, do you remember what you said about Dust being used for mining?"

"Of course I do," she replied with a snarky tone. "How could I forget?"

"How many of these will get rid of the nest," she asked with a grin on her lips.

"Ruby... what are you suggesting," Weiss asked with a concerned look, shooting Jaune a glance.

"We blow it up," she stated confidently, making an explosion gesture with her hands. Ruby looked to Jaune and Weiss still holding that grin before going to a more neutral expression. "When we got back from the Noonwraith Quest, I got curious about Dust and read about it. Also Jaune's firebomb he used against some goblins, but that's a different story. However, I thought we could use explosives against monster nests, so we don't have to clear all of them out by hand!" She clapped her hands together. "I also brought the stuff to make it!"

Ruby sported a scary look on her face as she went into detail about her idea. Not a dark look, but the way she appeared so confident about it would make her look terrifying to another onlooker.

"Well, your idea has merit," Weiss agreed, cupping her chin with a finger over her mouth. "Using an explosive to destroy the entire nest would make it easier. Doing it by hand presents several dangers if we have to go inside the cave. For that reason, I would say for us to use three Fire Dust Crystals. That should have enough power to burn everything. If not, we would have to personally destroy every spider egg." Weiss turned to Jaune. "How much did these crystals cost to purchase?"

"About a hundred lien for the Fire Dust," Jaune answered lazily. "Not really an issue anyway, since I don't use any enchantments."

They really weren't that expensive now. However, Jaune was not nearly as wealthy back then as he was a few weeks ago. After one or two more quests, when he built his coffers back up, Jaune could purchase a few more.

"Then you should go ahead and use them," Weiss consented, handing the last one to Ruby. "We'll compensate the shares for the reward so we may pay for them."

The Reaper reached for a small vial filled with a pale orange extract. She uncapped the bottle and spread the liquid over a strip of torn cloth. Weiss held the three crystals together as Ruby took the coated fabric and wrapped them around the crystals before tying the ends tightly.

"Okay, before we go any farther," Jaune stopped the group, reaching into a case on his belt. "Weiss..." He handed her a few potions. "Magicka potions. We need you to focus on crowd control and wiping out as many enemies as you can." He turned to Ruby. "Ruby..." He handed her a vial of resin. "Oil containing silver dust. Made it myself. Do your thing." Jaune then grabbed his antidote vials.

"And you two need to drink these," he ordered, handing both vials to the girls. "I can shrug off a spider bite and have done it at lower levels. But you two can't... so drink! It will give you immunity to venom for another hour or two."

Weiss and Ruby uncapped the vials at the same time. Each of the girls hesitantly brought it to their lips before downing the entire flask of liquid in one go. Weiss coughed and hacked as she finished her antidote. She immediately grabbed a waterskin, drinking nearly half of it to wash out the remnants of the potion. In turn, Ruby had a much milder reaction to it, holding her tongue out while grunting loudly.

"That... was... vile," Weiss croaked, taking another sip from the waterskin.

"Told you..."

"It wasn't that bad," Ruby countered, taking in a deep breath as the aftertaste left her buds. "I just plugged my nose and didn't taste it."

 _Good ol' childhood tricks!_

"Anyway," Ruby moved on, grabbing the makeshift bomb. "Jaune, how far can you throw this?"

He took hold of the explosive, scrutinising it as the crystals shimmered from the energy contained within. While intimidating as it was, the Dust crystals were not as heavy as they may seem. About three or four pounds and nearly as large a flagon.

"Why can't you run and toss it in," he asked, questioning her motives.

"Weiss said Dust is fragile," Ruby explained. "If I trip and drop it... Boom! So, I think you should throw it in there!"

"Okay..." Jaune stood up with the bomb in hand, preparing to throw it.

"We should take cover," Weiss suggested. "The flames are going to spread throughout the cave, but they may come back towards us." She conjured a shield in front of the group and another above them. "Plug your ears and keep your mouth open."

"You two ready," Jaune asked one more time, looking back at this partners. Both girls nodded and placed their hands over their ears.

 _Okay, here goes nothing!_

Jaune cocked his arm back, pointing his other towards the entrance of the cave. He took two steps forward, launching the Dust as he would have with a spear. The package sailed across the distance to his target in an awkward spiral due to its aerodynamics.

The last thing Jaune saw from the bomb before he turned to dive behind the shield was it flying into the mouth of the cave. A faint glow emanated from within as it sailed further into the gaping maw.

 _Oh, shit-shit-shit-shit-shit!_

He dove headfirst into the makeshift shelter, clamping his hands down around his ears. Every fibre of Jaune tensed up in preparation for what was to come. He had no way of knowing how the explosion would turn out. It felt like everything was slowing down.

The first thing Jaune saw was a bright flash from within the cave. It grew more and more magnificent over the next second, coming ever closer to the mouth. Flames erupting from just behind the nearly blinding light.

Jaune felt a shockwave crash into him. It hit him like a solid punch to the chest. The invisible wave passed right through the boy, forcing its way through his chest cavity. The sudden change in air pressure shook his internal organs back and forth in less than the blink of an eye.

Those flames spewing out from the cave mouth were like those from a dragon. They approached faster than the eye could see, slamming into the shield and wrapping around the edges. Not a single flame touched those taking shelter beneath the ward, passing around them like water around a rock in the river.

Yet, with the barrier before them. Jaune could feel the heat from the flames cooking him alive. Every piece of exposed skin screamed out in pain as the nerve endings were becoming damaged as the moisture on his body begun to boil away.

And before he even knew it, the air around the boy had cooled in an instant. His body returning to its normal state as the oppressive heat wore off. Jaune opened his eyes to see what was going on around him.

The ground between the group and the trees was burnt to a blackened crisp. Any grass or vegetation that once lived was now fine carbon dust. Remnant fires stood on the ground where there was still fuel to burn. Behind them, trees were also burning as were the webs that clung so heavily to them.

Jaune stood up, pushing himself off the ground, observing his handy work. He waited for something to come crawling out from inside the cave. Anything that survived would be a good fight for the group and a lot of Exp to gain.

"That was a lot bigger than I thought it would be," Ruby said in awe of what she had just created. "Total overkill..."

The entrance to the cave collapsed inwards. A dust cloud shot up from the rubble pile as the hole sealed itself from the outside. Nothing seemed to be coming out from there now.

Yet, the Exp from this fight was paltry in comparison to Jaune's previous battles. Maybe it was due to him levelling up so much in the past couple of weeks. He was now reaching the point where he and his team needed to move onto bigger and badder prey.

"Yes... so it seems," Weiss agreed, grabbing her things from off the ground. "We could have used one Dust crystal or even less than that." The gears inside Weiss' head started turning as she grew silent.

"I mean," Ruby continued without pause. "I thought there would be something else. It was cool but... anticlimactic."

Jaune snorted. "Don't worry Ruby," he placated the girl. "We'll find something more challenging next week!"

 **[Beacon Academy Front Gate: Night]**

Finally arriving in Vale, the group was walking back up to the academy. Around them, the streets were totally deserted and devoid of any other signs of life. They had gone home for the night, leaving a quiet background for the trio of adventurers.

"Uuhhh," Ruby groaned, slumping her entire upper body forward. "That quest was so _boring_!"

Unfortunately, things had not been looking up in the eventfulness of this quest. Teleporting back to the city, Jaune had left to see Colonel Balderich while Weiss and Ruby packed their bags. Whiteshale, which still looked like a gilded cesspool, did not offer any obstacles on his way to grab their Letter of Recognition. From there, the group immediately departed for Vale, taking most of the day to make the trip. Weiss had insisted such.

"Sorry, Ruby," Jaune apologised, offering up a nervous smile. "I'll pick something better next time. I thought it would be more exciting..."

Frankly, Jaune was a bit disappointed in his choice of quests. The last time they had gone out, Ruby was the one to decide where they would be going. And they had a blast throughout the entirety of the adventure.

"Whether or not it was exciting, does not matter," Weiss made her thoughts known. "We did an easy job for a well-paying reward. One that did not require us having to fight for hours on end."

"Do you just hate fun," Ruby asked Weiss in an honest tone. "The boss fight is always the best part! If there's no final battle, then the whole quest is just a boring hike through the woods!"

"No, I do not _hate_ fun," Weiss countered her friend's claim. "We are attempting to fulfil the requirements set by Professor Ozpin and to earn money. If we have to do menial tasks to achieve that, then we should take the opportunities when we can."

As the argument drew to a close, they came to the outer gate of the academy. No students seemed to be walking about or heading back inside the gates. It was eerily silent compared to the previous times they had returned from a quest.

"Well, I'm tired," Jaune announced to his companions turning to them. "I'll keep the letter on me, and tomorrow after class we'll go get our reward. Then we can find something fun to do!"

"Sounds awesome," Ruby chirped, clenching her fists in excitement. "We should bring everyone along!"

"Sure... Why not?"

Finally cresting the top of the road, the group was now standing inside the front gate. They were just about to split off and head in their separate direction when Weiss noticed something. Actually, stubbing her toe on it.

Weiss hissed loudly. "Gods dammit," she cursed out in pain. Limping over to a bench underneath the gatehouse.

"Huh," Jaune uttered, going to see what she had found. Ruby had already run over to help her.

It was a halberd laying just off the front gate with most of it resting in a nearby garden. Maybe a student had dropped it here and forgot it? Or one of the guards set it down and had to help carry something?

 _Hmmm?_

Jaune grabbed the polearm and stood the weapon straight up. It seemed perfectly fine, only wet with dew and what looked like muddy water.

"Hey Ruby, I found it," Jaune said, showing his friends the weapon. "We got our boss battle!"

As Jaune held up the halberd, the moonlight exposed the liquid coating a majority of the poleaxe. The sticky metallic smelling liquid inside every man, woman, and child. He realised it only too late.

Suddenly, a whistle filled Jaune's ears, and before he could react, a sharpened point tore through his left shoulder. It felt like he'd been kicked by a mule, enough that it nearly toppled the boy over, forcing him to drop the halberd.

 _What..._

He didn't hear Ruby and Weiss' screams. The two girls were immediately on him to survey his wounds. Everything around him grew quiet. Only the sound of Jaune's heart beating in his ears remained.

He looked to see an arrow sticking out from beneath his shirt. Jaune spared a single glance at the wound in favour of finding its origin. The Paladin turned out to face the road, seeing his attackers.

A group of people standing on a faraway roof. One crouched down on his knees with a bow in hand. Jaune immediately threw up a shield spell as another arrow found its mark in the ward.

"WEISS, RUBY, behind me," he shouted thoughtlessly.

Everything came back to Jaune instantly. Turning to examine his wound once again, he grabbed the haft of the arrow and snapped it clean off. The point was sticking through his back and out of his reach.

"I got it," Weiss said, coming behind him and pulling the remaining arrow piece through his shoulder. He winced as the haft went through the soft tissue. Adrenaline soon dulling the pain more and more.

More arrows stuck inside his shield. They were firing off their shots in random order, seemingly only to cause chaos among the students. No guards or any other adventurers were there to assist Jaune and his friends.

A horn blew loudly down in the city below. Jaune looked to see dozens of men rushing forth up the street. Soon, too many to count as the rest of their group rounded the bend. All running at full speed directly towards him.

 _What is happening?!_

The soldiers were all dressed in black. Their armour varied from man to man. From plate armour to pure leather and mail. Not a single uniform or identifying mark. No flags displaying their heraldry or unit.

Was this the Church or another group entirely? Why were they attacking the academy? Jaune didn't know, he only froze, watching the soldiers approach.

 _Do something Jaune! Can't freeze up now!_

Jaune turned to Ruby and Weiss, keeping the shield up as he did so. The Paladin had nothing more than a half-baked plan to hold them off. He wasn't sure if it was going to work or even if it would buy enough time.

"Ruby," he began urgently. "Go wake everybody up! We need numbers now!"

Jaune wasn't going to be able to fight all of these guys. He couldn't retreat either and leave them to do whatever they wanted. But buying some time was feasible.

"W-wait, I can fight too," she tried to counter.

"JUST DO IT!"

Ruby immediately vanished into a cloud of roses. Jaune turned to Weiss, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a bunch of potions. The Mage had already drawn Myrtenaster and was preparing a spell.

"Weiss," Jaune started, pulling out Crocea Mors. His left shoulder having difficulty moving around. "I need you to create ice walls! Something to funnel these guys in one at a time! Keep them off me! Use these potions to keep your magicka up! Drink them before you need to!" She grabbed everything out of his hand and slipped them into her bag.

He didn't even to wait for a moment as Weiss brought up two walls of ice. The side facing the attackers was jagged and spiked. Enough to keep those soldiers from barrelling through their defences. The cherry on top was how small the gap was. Only wide enough for a full-grown man to have to squeeze through.

Jaune entered the Ox Guard, bracing himself for the arrival of the first soldiers. Weiss stood right behind him with sword and spell in hand.

 _Please hurry Ruby..._

* * *

 **Ok, that was chapter twenty one! We're literally tossing Jaune to the wolves here, so this should be interesting.**

 **Why this happens will be explained in the upcoming chapters, so do not fret!**

 **So, I'll see you in a few weeks when I get The Lengths We Must Go To done and have everything edited.**

* * *

 **Class: Paladin**

 **"Gather 'round, Paladins!"**

 **"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"**

 **"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"**

 **"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"**

 **Level Nineteen**

 **Strength 36 (+2)**

 **Agility 19 (+1)**

 **Defence 25 (+1)**

 **Perception 29 (+1)**

 **Constitution 35 (+1)**

 **Intelligence 43 (+1)**

 **Charisma 23 (+1)**

 **Willpower 16 (+1)**

 **...**

 **Abilities**

 **Arclight**

 **A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **Longinuslanze Testament**

 **A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.**

 **It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.**

 **In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.**

 **Active Debuff:**

 **Turn and Face The Sun!**

 **...**

 **Passive: Magister's Lament**

 **Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.**

 **...**

 **Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.**

 **Monster Slayer**

 **Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.**

 **Armour and Weapons Smith**

 **Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.**

 **...**

 **Gear:**

 **Jaune's Breastplate**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 32**

 **Agility: 16**

 **Defence: 22**

 **Constitution: 30**

 **Eagle's Armour**

 **Level Twenty Eight**

 **Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather**

 **Minimum Stat Requirements:**

 **Strength: 57**

 **Agility: 25**

 **Defence: 30**

 **Constitution: 39**

 **Buffs:**

 **This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.**

 **This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.**

 **Crocea Mors**

 **Level Seventeen**

 **Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather**

 **Strength: 34**

 **Agility: 15**

 **Perception: 26**


	22. Act Two: Chapter Five

**The Real Chapter 22!**

 **Okay... I'm here ladies, and I don't really know what to say for this chapter. I honestly wasn't sure how to go about this, so I decided not to dress it up. Just the fight, no bullshit. So, no epic second wind that our Mc will get before he beats the shit out of the enemy or even a berserk mode being activated like the Hundred Man battle from Berserk.**

 **One other thing for this chapter specifically. Before anybody starts asking about why certain things happen, just picture where Jaune and company are located. They are standing probably a stone's throw from an army of the most powerful warriors on Remnant. Also, Professor fucking Goodwitch is here too, and we know how much of a powerhouse she is. Things work out because they do.**

 **Now, onto more important business.**

 **I am forewarning you now. There will be implied sexual assualt plus murder in this story. Nothing graphic. Hell, Jaune and our main characters won't even be here to see it happen nor will you. Our MC will come upon the scene of the crime after it took place and shit happens from that point on.**

 **Ya feel me?**

 **Good! Now enjoy, and tell me if there is anything I can change. I had nothing to base this chapter on or any examples to build off of, so it may need some work. If you can send me a review or PM, telling me what, I'll work on it.**

 **Also, happy belated birthday to this story. Late by four months, but I still said it!**

* * *

Jaune crouched slightly, widening his stance as he did so. His opponents on their way inside. They had only made their way past the outer gate, stuck under the walls as the ice barricade blocked their path. Their half-assed charge leaving them sandwiched and unable to all force their way through. It was only a matter of time, however.

 _Okay, Jaune... Just need to buy enough time for Ruby..._

He was scared shitless right now. Two teenagers versus an army of more than a hundred. One of them barely knew how to fight people. Some lessons from Weiss was all he had going for him. The other could fence but had no way of protecting herself from blades if they got past her magic.

What they had was about twenty feet between them and the ice wall. This barricade providing the piece needed, so the two weren't stampeded by the total force. The gap discouraging the soldiers from choosing another route inside by leaving them an opening. Jaune could play that to his advantage, thinning their ranks before the others could arrive.

Every one of the cards that mattered playing into his favour.

As the first soldier managed to squeeze through the gap, he took one look at Jaune before rushing forth. His sword and shield in hand, wasting no time in bringing up the guard to put something between the two. His sword arm cocking back and then springing with a thrust towards Jaune's throat.

The Paladin stepped to the side, parrying the sword off and sending the man stumbling. He twisted around, performing a backspin with the blade, drawing it across the enemy soldier's back. The steel sword cutting through the gambeson and his spinal cord with ease. His body sliding across the ground, dead.

 _That's one..._

The second and third forced their way through the gap. A halberdier and swordsman. Each wearing chainmail over cloth. Jaune looked down, kicking the halberd off the ground and into his hand. Cocking back his arm, he launched it towards the swordsman as if he were wielding the Longinuslanze Testament. Its spiked tip smashing through the man's chest, piercing his chainmail without effort.

 _Two..._

The halberdier stopped his charge, preparing the polearm and keeping his distance from the boy. Jaune attempted to rush in but found a spike stabbed towards his face every single time he tried. The halberdier planted his heel, beginning to swing wide to force an opening between the two. Jaune slid underneath the attack, and when he stood, the haft of the polearm was smashed across his forehead. The sudden blow dazing the boy and knocking him onto his back.

As his opponent fell, the halberdier raised the axe-head over his body, chopping down towards Jaune's chest. The speed and weight of the blade enough to break Jaune's ribs or kill him instantly. He rolled to the side, dodging it once and then avoiding a follow up with the spike thrust at his stomach. The boy responded by kicking the man in the knee, causing it to buckle and for him to kneel onto the injured joint.

Jaune scrambled for his sword, sitting up and thrusting his blade forth into the man's crotchal region. The diamond tip severing his femoral artery. Blood spilt out from the injury, beginning to form a pool beneath him. The man's consciousness lasted for only a few seconds before he fell over on his side.

 _Three..._

A hand reached out to Jaune, and he took it immediately. Weiss lifted the boy up and off his but, helping him to his feet. He waisted no time once standing, grabbing his sword and getting back in front of the girl.

"Jaune, are you all right," Weiss asked from behind. Her tone sounding as if she were concentrating heavily.

"Yeah," he immediately replied without looking back. His next opponent starting the squeeze through the gap. "What about you?"

Jaune stepped forth, striking the man with the pommel of his blade as soon as he reached them. The force behind it dazing him through his kettle helmet. However, he disregarded the pain, thrusting his arming sword towards Jaune's throat. The blade nearly finding its mark.

Simultaneously, a blur of white moved in Jaune's peripheral with sword in hand. It thrust from just behind the Paladin's left, tearing a hole through the swordman's throat. The severed jugular spilt out onto the ground, and the man collapsed almost immediately.

 _Four..._

"I'm fine..." Weiss explained, sounding a bit laboured. Her breathing heightened with the onset of epinephrine dumped into her system. "Just continue what you're doing, and I'll try to help if I can. I'm focusing on keeping that wall up, so I'm unable to support you with spells."

"Got it..."

 _Just like fighting monsters..._

Another three poured through the wall this time. The first two waiting for backup from the third before heading any further. Jaune wasted no time in grabbing the other halberd off the ground. He cocked back his arm and threw it as a spear towards the middle one. A man wearing a hood and cloak. He ducked underneath the javelin, throwing a dagger in response.

Jaune was barely able to recognise the shape of the knife flying through the air before it struck him in the left shoulder. The tip of the blade digging into the steel and just barely grazing the boy's skin. He wrenched it out but found it was too late with the three soldiers nearly on top of him.

One raised his sword above his head, ready to strike Jaune down. The others were just about on the boy as well. Without a thought, Jaune dashed forth and tackled this new swordsman. The two men tumbled towards the stone ground, and the swordsman lost his blade in the struggle. It was sent skittering away as the man loosened his grip upon it.

With his opponent pinned beneath and caught off guard, Jaune grabbed the throwing knife and plunged it into the man's throat. His trachea pierced with this steel blade, and his airway cut off. The boy immediately pulled it back out and scrambled to his feet before the others had the chance to pounce.

 _Five..._

A sudden swipe of a blade nearly sliced through Jaune's nose cleanly. The hooded man was trying to take a stab at him this time. He held two daggers in a reverse grip, going at the boy like a whirlwind of blades. Jaune was put on the backpedal trying to clear enough distance between the two, so he could figure something out. Crocea Mors was on the ground and out of his reach.

Without a weapon, he threw caution to the wind, launching his fist straight at the man's face. The rogue got a cut in across his forearm, but his guard was broken with this reckless move. Jaune took advantage of the opening, ducking down and wrapping his arms around the man's waist. Before the rogue could pull anything, Jaune lifted him up and over his head, slamming the man back down to the earth on his neck. A vicious crunch emanating from below.

 _Six..._

Jaune looked around for anybody else coming to join them. Two more were clawing their way through the gap. However, he looked towards Weiss and found a mace wielder to be going at the girl. His heavy plate armour stopping everything Weiss was throwing at him.

With a single step, Jaune clutched the throwing knife and threw it at the knight, catching him in the back of the neck. He collapsed from the wound before Weiss stabbed down, finishing him off without pause.

 _Seven..._

Jaune quickly moved to retrieve Crocea Mors as two more soldiers were approaching. He snatched the bloodied blade off of the ground, swiping upwards at one of the knights. He did the same with a diagonal chop. The two blades collided, snapping Crocea Mors in half. No... The blade was almost cleanly cut to pieces.

 _Fuck!_

Backpedalling, Jaune was forced to leap back with another slash towards his body. With another one following right after, he used the remainder of his blade and guard to catch the sword. Jaune wrapped his free hand around the blade before abandoning his broken weapon entirely to get into a clinch.

Jaune's gloved hands were safe from being cut on the sword as long as it wasn't drawn across the leather. With that knowledge, he jerked the man side to side in the hopes he could throw him away from the sword. However, this man's strength was much greater than the boy's own. This knight spun the Paladin around in a complete circle and nearly threw the boy off his feet. Jaune prevented this by digging his feet beneath a corpse to weigh himself down.

A glance to his left found the other soldier was preparing to kill the boy with his blackjack. As he raised it above his head, Jaune headbutted the man he was grappling with on the nose, dazing him momentarily. When the footsoldier moved to strike the boy, he instead found his friend's head in the way. There was no time to stop before he caved in the knight's skull.

 _Eight..._

Jaune whipped around, backhanding the footsoldier across the face with his armoured hand. He then went for his kukri, pulling it out of his sheath with his left hand while the man was still reeling from the blow. His uncovered face all bloody from the strike. Without pause, Jaune took his knife and buried into the man's eye socket. The blade piercing the orbital bone and embedding itself into his brain.

 _Nine..._

A surprise attack from Jaune's right side cut the boy across the top of his thigh. The leather padding doing little to defend the Paladin adequately from the slice. Nothing cut too deeply, only muscle and skin. Regardless, it began bleeding all over his leg. Jaune's attacker wielding a polearm, standing several feet away from the boy.

Jaune reached down and grabbed the blackjack off the ground. He had no sword in hand, making use of whatever he could grasp. Dual-wielding his knife and club, Jaune sidestepped the next attack targeting his open face and neck. He turned slammed the bludgeon down onto the spear, snapping the shaft below the head. Before the soldier could reach for his sword, Jaune ducked forth, kneecapping his enemy with the club, then sticking the knife through his throat.

 _Ten..._

A whistle from his left alerted Jaune to the presence of more soldiers. He looked at Weiss, who was staring down three of them charging straight at her. He didn't even wait for a second, rushing at the oncoming attackers with a reckless abandon. Jaune's leg doing nothing to stop him.

He crossed the ten feet of space between him and the soldiers in what felt like less than a second. Cocking back his blackjack, Jaune swiped upwards from left to right cracking one of the soldiers in the face. Jaune didn't even wait to see if he was still moving as the boy ducked under another swipe from a sword.

Batting the second strike away with the wooden club, the blade was knocked from the soldier's hands. Without a weapon, the soldier grabbed his own dagger, holding in a reverse grip. He went to stab the boy, but Jaune slammed the club down on the hand holding the knife, breaking the limb without effort. The loud crack of a broken radius precipitated the piercing scream that followed. Soon silenced with a chop across the neck from Jaune's knife, nearly decapitating the man.

 _Eleven..._

Jaune turned around, finding Weiss to be struggling with the soldier again. His armour proving too much for the girl without her spells. In fact, he was dodging just about every strike she threw his way. Her concentration and fighting ability faltering with the spell wall still active.

Intervening before any harm came to her. Jaune smashed the blackjack across the back of the soldier's head. The wooden club snapping like a twig against the steel helmet, but it surely rang the man's bell. Even with the armour, the blunt force trauma travelling through it was enough to kill him instantaneously. He slumped over as if someone dropped him like a sack of potatoes.

 _Twelve..._

"Jaune, are you all right," Weiss asked again with concern in her voice, breathing loudly. The girl's speech and body language telling the boy she was becoming fatigued. "You're bleeding..."

He didn't answer her question initially, looking around for a weapon to use. A few moments later, he spotted a mace lying near her feet. Its heavy flanged head perfect for what he needed. More than a sword anyway right now. He was facing opponents wearing armour, and his sword wouldn't cut it.

Taking the mace in hand, Jaune tested the weight, finding it perfect. He then glanced back to the ice wall to see another man attempting to get into the courtyard. A trail of blood and bodies leading up to where Jaune stood.

"It's fine," Jaune answered, taking this moment to rest. "I've had worse..." He looked down at his leg, finding that most of his pant leg was soaked. "But can you move farther back? I can't be worrying about you and fighting at the same time!"

 _She's gonna get me killed if I have to keep watching her..._

"No," Weiss said, shaking her head. "This spell only has a limited range. If I move, then it ends."

 _Shit..._

Jaune didn't even bother to reply, walking forward to meet the next soldier. A painful sidestep due to the cut in his leg narrowly avoided the strike from the man. Jaune dipped to the right, getting behind him before cutting across the back of his knee. The sliced tendon holding the hamstring onto the lower femur rendered the leg useless. He collapsed to the ground, crippled and screaming from the pain. Jaune finished him off with a bat across the skull with his mace.

 _Thirteen..._

Two more on their way in surprised Jaune. A sudden fist to his right cheek threw the boy onto his back. He only glanced up for a second as a man wielding a war hammer was just about to slam it home onto his chest. The spike on the opposite side of the strike face would have gone right through his chest place. Jaune reacted immediately, kicking upwards and into the man's crotch. The leather armour and mail he wore did nothing to stop the pain, forcing him to respond naturally by stumbling backwards.

Jaune then threw his mace straight at the soldier's head, clocking him in the jaw. Before he could move to stand back up, the other soldier jumped on top of him, wrapping his hands around Jaune's throat. He lifted the boy's head up by the neck and slammed it down onto the stone. The blow dazing Jaune along with the loss of airflow from him being suffocated.

He reached up to grab his arms, hoping he could push them off him, but found his strength to be outmatched. In desperation, Jaune punched him once, twice, but both were taken like they were nothing to him. The grip from his hands clamping down even harder on his airway. Another blow from the man rippled through Jaune's as his head was thrown into the stone again.

 _Fuck!_

His vision darkening, Jaune felt around for anything he could grab. The boy's hand grazing the blood pooling on the stone nearby. A body slumped over among the other debris. When his finger touched something wooden, Jaune immediately grasped the object. It was the broken handle from the blackjack.

Using the splinters from the break, Jaune thrust the makeshift weapon towards the man's eyes. Their sharp ends cut into his skin and embedded themselves into the vulnerable tissue. He let out a scream, bringing it hands up to his face as his vision was permanently ruined. Jaune pulled back the blackjack to find there were pieces of wood stuck inside his pupils.

Standing back on his feet, Jaune grasped the blackjack handle with both hands, slamming it down on top of his head three times. A sharp crack from his skull and the man slumped over dead.

 _Fourteen..._

Just as Jaune went to grab another weapon, a fist clocked him in the jaw again. His mouth quickly began filling with blood as the tissue was torn inside. The force behind the blow, causing the boy to stumble before he planted his feet firmly. Fisticuffs were raised to fend off this other soldier.

The war hammer wielder swung his weapon towards Jaune's head, but the boy leapt back and out of range. The hammer's poor reach playing to his advantage. Another wild swing was made straight at his shoulder, and Jaune batted it away with his gauntlet. The man's balance thrown off as he over-compensated for the blow.

With the soldier open, Jaune reached out, grabbing the man's weapon arm and snapped it at the elbow. His limb contorted at a forty-five-degree angle away from where it should have been. The soldier screamed, dropping his weapon, which Jaune picked up in his right hand. Before he could allow the man to regain his footing and search for another weapon, Jaune twisted the hammer to the spiked end, slamming it home on top of the man's head.

 _Fifteen..._

"JAUNE!"

A shout from behind alerted Jaune to an oncoming threat. He only managed to turn around halfway as a blade sliced into his flank. The sharp tip cutting just his ribs and opening a finger-sized laceration into the flesh. As the pain surged through his body with the cut, Jaune let out a loud yelp. Every fibre of his body wanted to move towards grasping the wound to staunch the bleeding; but with the threat of the soldier standing next to him, Jaune instead struck the man in the face with his hammer. The blow killing him instantly.

 _Sixteen..._

He looked towards the ice wall, seeing more men on the way to kill him and Weiss. Several others were lining up to push themselves inside. The boy only readied his weapon, finding his knife lying on the ground and equipping that as well.

 _We need to keep these guys off of Weiss._

 _Focus on fighting... Nothing else..._

Jaune rushed to meet the first out of the five on the battlefield. His pace at a full sprint despite his wounds. The soldier attempted to compensate, raising his shield over his head to block any downwards blows. His sword arm thrust forward from underneath towards Jaune's body. The boy took the blow against his chest plate, allowing it to skitter off to the side. Yet, he did not stop there, dashing just past him and twisting around with his knife in a reverse grip. With the open and unarmoured back, he buried his kukri into the man's ribs where his heart should have been.

He didn't wait to see if he was going to fall, Jaune running up to the next soldier. The man chopping downwards with his sword. This blow catching Jaune's shoulder, dancing off the steel plate. The receiver feeling the full force behind the attack but disregarded it completely. He dipped to the left, dodging another thrust from this blade, turning and driving the hammer's spike into the man's knee.

The armour on his leg caught the hammer's spike, but the blow was enough to drop the man to one knee. Jaune's opponent letting out a pained grunt muffled behind his plated helmet. The boy saw the obvious weak point from where the voice originated, going for the eye slits. While the man was distracted from his broken knee, Jaune slid his knife between the armour plates, killing him.

 _Seventeen..._

He wrenched his hammer out from the man's knee just in time for the next opponent. His knife stuck inside the helmet and lost to him. Jaune raised the weapon up to block a strike from a mace. The wood on this hammer absorbing this blow only through the metal langets riveted into the side. He then shoved the soldier back using the base of the war hammer's haft. The sudden shift of direction throwing the man off balance, allowing Jaune to drop his shoulder and charge into the soldier.

The two men fell to the ground. One landing on his back unceremoniously with Jaune straddling him. As the boy moved to smash the man's face in, Jaune turned and cast Arclight onto another soldier to buy him a few more seconds. Without that distraction and the man he was fighting blinded as well, Jaune slammed the hammer down as if he was pounding in a nail.

 _Eighteen..._

The soldier still standing in front of Jaune was wildly swinging his blade back and forth, attempting to defend himself without his vision to aid him. Jaune shot up from his kneel and smashed the hammer across the man's sword arm, forcing him to drop the blade. The boy not bothering with the hammer, grasping the lost sword and driving the blade into the soldier's throat.

 _Nineteen..._

Turning to face any oncoming opponents, the last two soldiers present were accompanied by a man who could only be considered a giant. He must have been over seven feet tall! His musculature was apparent even underneath his armour. In his hands, he carried a large poleaxe as if it were a mere twig.

Before his companions could charge forth, he urged them to step aside, wanting Jaune all to himself. He hefted the poleaxe onto his shoulder and slowly began walking towards the boy in an intimidating fashion. Jaune, in turn, crouched down low, readying himself for the inevitable brawl that would take place.

He moved first, swinging the poleaxe in a wide arc to throw the boy off balance. Jaune leapt backwards and out of range, mobility on his side. He tried to move around his flanks, vying for an opening, but Jaune was prevented from doing so by this soldier's reaction time. Every move Jaune made was already followed, traced by this more experienced man. A step forward was met with a thrust from the spiked weapon. Staying and waiting for a chance to rush in was followed up with an attack from the axe head.

 _Fuck! I'm getting tired of this..._

Dodging another swipe from the man's axe, Jaune ducked inside its radius, taking advantage of the wind-up. His move bold and reckless like so many others. He raced as fast as he could before the soldier recovered, leaping up and into the air with his hammer cocked back, ready to bring it down on the man's head.

He didn't even have a chance to land the blow. Baited in by the soldier, the man cocked his arm back before backhanding Jaune across the chest. His sheer strength tossing him several feet away like a ragdoll. Jaune landing on his back, having the wind knocked out of him upon contact with the stone.

The soldier was upon him in an instant, raising his poleaxe over his head to slam it down onto Jaune. Reacting immediately, he reached over, grabbing a nearby shield and pulling it onto his body. The soldier didn't notice this, already bringing the hammer-face down like a sledgehammer. Its flattened surface smashing through the wooden shield, taking some of the momenta out from behind his attack, but it still travelled right through. The hammer crashed into Jaune's chest plate, embedding itself into the metal-trimmed shield; however, the strike broke two of Jaune's ribs in the process.

He let out a pained yell the second he felt them crack. The searing pain shooting through his entire body despite the adrenaline in his system. His pained cries causing Weiss to come running in with a battle-cry of her own. She leapt with Myrtenaster in her hands, stabbing the man in the side of the neck.

However, it did almost nothing to stop the soldier. He whipped around, punching Weiss in the face, hard, and throwing her away from the duel. When he went to reach up to pull the rapier from his throat, the sounds of cracking ice from behind the fighters, drew everyone's attention.

 _Oh, shit..._

Weiss' ice barrier was crumbling without her efforts to keep it standing. Jaune had no idea how it was doing beforehand, but because of him, it was getting pushed over. The soldiers on the other side all chipping away at the structure with their combined strength and the wall's waning magic.

 _Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck!_

He didn't wait to see it fall, hearing it topple over from behind. Jaune threw himself on his feet despite his pain and hefted Weiss onto his shoulder. The Princess' nose bleeding heavily from her broken nose. In fact, the entirety of her chest was covered in blood as if she had been bleeding for far longer than he noticed.

The sound of arrows whizzing past him drew the boy's attention to the soldiers once again. He saw the two men behind the giant dropped with bolts placed dead centre in their faces. Then a vortex of roses entering the fray sliced the giant into two pieces with a silver streak meeting his waist.

" _Jaune_ ," a voice came from the other side of the boy. He turned around and found Blake standing there with a bow in hand.

He waisted no time, heaving Weiss into Blake's arms. "Get her to the infirmary," Jaune shouted, turning back around to scavenge another weapon. The boy ignoring his broken ribs for the battle at hand.

Jaune could hear the sounds of soldiers beginning to storm the inner courtyard of Beacon. Soon the sounds of all of the students remaining within those walls met them in a clash. Many of the Academy's knights rushing in carelessly to get their chance at glory. Those with ranged weapons fired upon the enemy, picking them off one by one. Everyone else was either running in or supporting another with their shields.

The boy ran forth, grabbing the nearest weapon lying on the ground. He ducked past some of the other soldiers with the giant's poleaxe in hand and straight into the fray. Some of his friends standing close by, duelling with their own opponents.

His first foe was distracted by another knight. Jaune surprised the man, charging at him with the spiked tip aimed directly towards his back. With a yell, he plunged it into the man, knocking him off his feet and down onto the ground. The other knight finishing him off with a stab to his neck.

 _Twenty..._

As Jaune went to move onto the next foe, he was forced to duck below another soldier sent flying by a student. The image of Yang Xiao Long a few feet away going to town one three other soldiers was the first thing that came into view. What astonished the boy the most was how her hair was on fire, going berserk. Her angered shouts preceding every single punch she landed.

Deciding to join her, Jaune bolted across the distance separating the two at a full sprint. With another soldier, trying to protect himself from Yang having his back turned to Jaune, he took the opportunity at hand. Hefting his poleaxe above his head and slamming it home onto the man's shoulder.

 _Twenty-one..._

Wrenching it out of the corpse, Jaune turned to go after the next soldier. As he went to move, Yang turned and threw a punch in his direction. The fist sailing straight towards his head prompted the boy to lift his weapon to block it.

"Same team-same team," Jaune repeatedly shouted as he cowered in her presence.

However, the fist never came. Jaune watched it pass right by him and slam into another soldier running up from behind. The force packed behind the blow throwing the man off his feet and slamming his head into the ground in a fraction of a second.

With the man dead, Yang seemed to calm down a second and flashed him a smile along with a thumbs up. Jaune returned it was a nod, beginning to move onto the next soldier as did his blonde counterpart. The two bolting towards a mob forming towards the gate. The scarlet hair of Pyrrha, and the whirlwind of Ruby's rose petals dancing back and forth, slaughtering soldiers left to right.

Before the pair could reach the action, a lightning bolt shot out from behind them. The blue streak of light crashed into the soldiers standing outside the wall, utterly annihilating them. Their bodies turned to ash and bone. Over half the army gone in a single blow.

 _The fuck?!_

Jaune whipped around to find Professor Goodwitch standing about twenty feet away. Her wand in hand and preparing to cast another spell. However, her shirt was ripped and bloodied. One could tell she was stabbed several times by one or multiple attackers. The wounds along her shoulder and one down by her stomach the most serious.

With a second spell cast, another lightning bolt flew from the tip of her wand. It crashed into the remainder of the forces standing outside the gate. This one was enough to break their morale. The survivors beginning to panic and fled from the courtyard with a group of students on their trail.

 _Holy shit..._

Jaune fell to a knee as his strength left him. The adrenaline doing nothing more to prop the boy up despite his desire to keep standing. All he could do was watch his fellow students stand around and await guidance from Professor Goodwitch. His worries about the fight long gone as any remaining soldiers were mopped up by his friends.

However, his eyes turned to Ruby, who was still standing by the gate. Every part of her body was soaked in blood from head to toe. Her older sister running to the girl to see if she was all right. Pyrrha already there, checking up on her and not getting a response.

 _Ruby?_

As Ruby looked down at her hands, her expression changed to something resembling horror. At the mere sight of blood, everything about her demeanour shifted. The girl's breathing quickening as if she was having a panic attack. She took two steps forward, dropping onto her knees and throwing up on the ground.

Wrapping her arms around the girl, Yang pulled Ruby close as she began openly sobbing into her chest. The sounds of the girl crying echoed over the cacophony taking place around them.


End file.
